


Whistle in the Dark

by weethreequarter



Series: How to Build a Family [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Fantastic Four, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adoption, Anxiety Attacks, Developing Relationship, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Implied child neglect (past), Iron Man 3 AU, Iron Man 3 Spoilers, Kid Fic, M/M, Misunderstandings, Parent Steve Rogers, Parent Tony Stark, Parenthood, Post-Avengers (2012), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Self-Esteem Issues, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony doesn't share well, semi-verbal character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-03
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-10-21 13:52:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 35,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17644055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weethreequarter/pseuds/weethreequarter
Summary: When Tony adopted Johnny and Sue, he knew he would be the only parent they would ever know. Which was fine with him. After all, he doesn’t play well with others. So it’s fine, it’s all fine. Until they found Steve Rogers in the ice. Now things would be a lot more fine if Tony didn’t have to deal with megalomaniac terrorists, ghosts of girlfriends past, and the constant threat of panic attacks, all while coming to terms with the fact that he has to learn how to co-parent with Steve.





	1. It's Complicated

**Author's Note:**

> So this all started way, way back when I wanted to write a different superfamily (because I love Peter as their son, but I like pushing myself). There have been many, many different versions of this over the past few years (and yes, it has been years), but then I stumbled across a Buzzfeed (I think) article on how Johnny and Sue could be Tony and Steve's kids, explaining why Chris Evans played both Steve and Johnny. And I really liked that idea. 
> 
> So yes, this is Sue and Johnny as portrayed in the 2005 film by Chris Evans and Jessica Alba, except as teenagers. The events of FF will eventually happen in this verse, but when they are adults. Disclaimer, my knowledge of the Fantastic Four comes mostly from those movies and fan fiction and googling. However, if you’d rather view them as 616 Sue and Johnny, or even Sue and Johnny from the 2015 movie, feel free. You’ll just have to ignore the references to Johnny looking like Steve.
> 
> This is part one of three. This one and the second one are complete, and I have the third plotted so rest assured it will be finished. I have ideas for further stories in the verse, but these three focus on Steve and Tony, their relationship, and their relationships with their kids.

There were times when Tony longed for the days when Sue was still the adorable child she was when he walked out of a faceless SHIELD facility with her and her brother six years ago. Of course, back then he didn’t know it was a SHIELD facility. Because dear old dad had omitted to mention that he’d helped establish a super secret government organisation with his old war buddy Agent Carter. It was just a government facility where they were holding two small children, raising them under a microscope in the hope that they would be the next super soldiers. Now, Tony may have been a special kind of bastard, but even he couldn’t stand the thought of a child being raised as a science experiment. He was fairly certain his father and Agent Carter would’ve objected too. Particularly considering who was - technically - their biological father. He’d given them his DNA - however unknowingly - if nothing else.   
  
Now that she was a thirteen year old, he longed to go back to those early days of princesses and ponies. When freedom was so new and exciting to her that she was never difficult, never anything but happy. Of course, that was before she’d been hit by a shit-tonne of hormones too. Back then he could solve any problem simply by dressing up and playing cowboys and pirates with her.   
  
A second muffled scream came from Sue’s room. Bracing himself, Tony stuck his head around the door.  
  
“Hey. What’s wrong?” he asked.   
  
Sue pointed to her head, pouting furiously. Tony wished, not for the first time since becoming a parent, for telepathy. He shook his head.  
  
“You’re gonna have to give me more than that to go on, sweetie.”  
  
“My hair,” she moaned. “It’s going everywhere.”

“So?”

“So, I want to look perfect.”

Tony stepped fully into the room, crossing the floor to sit on the bed next to her. He tucked her beautiful blonde hair behind her ear.

“Sweetie, he just wants to meet you. No matter what your hair looks like,” he said gently.

Sue slumped against his shoulder, and Tony wrapped his arms around her. Holding the girl he’d considered a daughter in everything but blood for so long calmed him. He would never admit it, but he was nervous too. There was a chance, however small, that he could lose both of them today. Tony knew it was stupid - he was still their legal guardian after all - but he’d been the only parental figure in their lives for so long. And he didn’t like sharing. 

“Come on, sit up,” he instructed, squeezing her shoulder. “Now,” he said, flexing his fingers, “Let’s see if I can remember how to do this.” 

Taking her hair in his hand, Tony carefully separated and began to French braid it. After a few disastrous attempts on his own, Pepper had spent an afternoon teaching him how to do a variety of hairstyles for the occasions when she couldn’t be called in to save the day. It brought back memories of hours spent in Sue’s bedroom back in California, the two of them telling stories, making her giggle and trading secrets. It was a comfort he dearly needed this morning. Retrieving a stray hair tie from her dresser, Tony wound it around the end of the braid.

“There you go,” he said, turning her shoulders towards the mirror. “Beautiful as always."

“Thanks pop,” Sue whispered. 

Tony leaned down and kissed the top of her head. 

They both looked up at the sound of feet shuffling across the hardwood floor. Tony smiled at the sight of his son. Johnny wore a hoodie and a scowl - and Tony was fairly certain that hoodie used to be his - and a pair of wireless headphones. He crossed the room and collapsed against Tony’s back. Tony let out an _oof_. He pulled Johnny off of his back long enough to lie down, then let Johnny collapse over his chest. Sue lay down on his other side, tucking her face into Tony’s neck. Tony reached down and tugged off Johnny’s headphones.

“Hey buddy, you doing okay?” he asked.

There was a pause, just long enough that Tony began to wonder if today was one of Johnny’s bad days, then finally he replied, “I’m fine.” His tone was subdued in the way that he only ever let Tony or Sue hear. 

“You know I love you guys, right?” Tony said, hugging them both close.

“Yeah,” Sue replied.

Johnny nodded against his chest. Tony smiled. He kissed both their foreheads.

“Come on, don’t wanna be late.”

X

Even though they were right on time - impressive for Tony who thrived on making an entrance and therefore usually ran late - they were still second to arrive. Of course Captain Punctual would be early. Sue stopped suddenly, her eyes on Steve.

“I don’t think I can do this,” she admitted.

“Of course you can,” Tony replied, swallowing his fears. “I’ll be right there.”

“What if he doesn’t like us?” Sue whispered. Behind her, Johnny froze, hands buried in his pockets, where he was scuffing a pebble with his foot.

There it was. The thing that had been nothing her all morning. Making her this cranky version of his little girl. 

“Of course he’s going to like you. Both of you,” Tony assured them. “You’re great. Everyone loves you. And if he doesn’t, I’ll kick his butt. Cause clearly he’s an idiot. Come on kiddos. Let’s show him what we’ve got.”

X

**Two weeks earlier…**

“Tony?”

“Hey Cap,” Tony smiled, pulling off his sunglasses. “How was the road trip?”

“Pretty good,” Steve replied. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, Fury wants to nag me about something. I wasn’t listening when he called, but JARVIS put the meeting in my diary anyway, so here I am,” Tony shrugged. “I think he said something about… Nope. No idea.”

Steve chuckled. 

“You are incorrigible,” he stated. Now that the world was no longer in danger and they were away from Loki’s staff - and he’d had some time to adjust to this new time - Steve liked Tony Stark. He could see the humour in the other man’s words, the humour he’d missed before. Tony, in turn, seemed to see Steve’s jest for what it was and grinned shamelessly. 

“You’ll hear no arguments from me,” he replied. “What about you? Getting back into the game?”

“Thinking about it,” Steve nodded. “Fury has a couple of assignments he wants me to take a look at, so it looks like I’m relocating to DC.”

“And your little Brooklyn heart is breaking at the thought, isn’t it?” 

“Just a little,” Steve grinned. “Listen, Tony, I’m glad I bumped into you. I owe you an apology.”

“What for?” Tony frowned.

“That stuff I said on the helicarrier-“

Tony waved him off.

“Don’t be stupid, Cap. You and I both know that was extenuating circumstances.”

“Still-“

“It’s water off of an iron duck’s back,” Tony interrupted.

“Good. Because I am sorry,” Steve said. “There was one more thing. I was wondering if, next time I’m in town, you wanted to get a drink?”

It was a rare thing, to strike Tony Stark speechless. Yet with one sentence, Steve had done just that. Tony gaped, floundering for a moment. Finally he replied, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“Because of the Avengers?” 

“Because of my kids.”

It was Steve’s turn to be struck speechless. Tony had children? There had been no mention of them, either in his SHIELD file or with Fury. He wasn’t entirely sure he could wrap his head around the idea of Tony as a father, particularly one who played an active role in his child’s life as his statement seemed to suggest.

“You have kids?” Steve said stupidly. 

“Yeah. Twins. Boy and a girl, Sue and Johnny. Fury didn’t mention them?”

“No.”

Tony gave a small smile, but there was little humour or warmth there. Something told Steve that there was a lot hiding under that smile. Which made absolutely no sense at all. 

“Huh,” Tony pursed his lips. “Interesting.”

“What do your children have to do with us having a drink?” Steve asked. 

“Because I don’t do this,” Tony shrugged. “I can’t. Sue and Johnny are the most important people in my life. I have to put them first. I don’t do relationships; I do meaningless hook-ups. Which I’m pretty sure isn’t your style. It was good to see you again Cap. Steve.”

“Bye Tony,” Steve replied, watching the man slip on a pair of sunglasses and disappear. 

X

“Did you know Tony has kids?” Steve asked, offering Natasha his hand.

“Yeah,” Natasha smiled. “Susan and Johnny. I met them when I was undercover last year.” She crossed the gym to collect her water bottle. “Say what you like about Tony Stark, he’s a good father.” 

“What happened to their mom?”

“No mom. They’re adopted,” Natasha shook her head. “They were six when he took them in.”

“Really? Steve raised his eyebrows. “I never would’ve predicted that.”

“I know, right?” she grinned. “Nobody knows the full story. Tony doesn’t hide them away, but he doesn’t parade them in the media either. Says they deserve their childhoods.” 

“Huh.”

Natasha dropped her water bottle. She nodded to the mats.

“You ready to go again?”

“I can do this all day,” he retorted. 

X

A few days later, Steve’s curiosity got the better of him. He sat down with his SHIELD issue laptop and opened up an image search just like Clint had shown him. After staring at the curser blinking in the empty box, he typed ‘ _tony stark children_ ’ then hit search. Instantly he was faced with hundreds of results. Scrolling down, he clicked to enlarge a couple. They ranged from recent to a few years old, going by the difference in both Tony and the two children. Sue had blonde hair and brown eyes, and appeared in more pictures than her brother, particularly those taken at black tie events. In the earlier photos, she was perched on Tony’s hip; in the later ones she was tucked securely under Tony’s arm. Johnny had brown-blond hair and blue eyes and a wide grin. In the paparazzi shots, blurry photos of Tony and his children unaware they were being photographed, Johnny's grin was gone and his hands were buried in the pockets of his hoodie more often than not. 

Something that leaped out to Steve instantly was the obvious care Tony showed for his children. In every photo, he had some form of contact with his children. And the way he looked at them… It was as though they were his world. Which, Steve realised, they probably were. Curiosity temporarily satisfied, he shut the laptop. 

He thought nothing more about it - other than in passing when he saw Tony on the news, and felt that flare of attraction and intrigue again - until months later, when he received an enigmatic text from Tony asking when he would next be in New York. Steve replied, telling him that he would be up in the next two weeks, and Tony asked Steve to meet him at Stark Industries to discuss something. After staring at the message in confusion, Steve replied that he would be there at the appointed time and date.

When the day came, he arrived at Stark Industries a few minutes early, delighting in the winter chill that was already in the air, and made his way upstairs to Tony’s office. As he understood it, as the owner of the company and majority shareholder, Tony still held offices in Stark Industries buildings despite making Pepper Potts CEO the year before. The secretary was missing from the outer office, so Steve approached the office door to knock and announce his presence. But, hearing voices inside, he paused. While he felt a little guilty for eavesdropping, he couldn’t help himself. 

“… know you have to do it, Tony,” said a female voice he recognised as Pepper Potts. 

“I know,” Tony’s voice replied. 

“They’re going to want to meet him eventually.” 

“I know,” Tony repeated. “I just… I always thought that if I was going to lose either of them to another man, it would be one I could scare off by using the suit.”

“You won’t lose them, Tony,” Pepper assured him. “But he has a right to know what SHIELD did.” 

“I notice Fury never mentioned anything about it,” Tony said. “Bastard. One of these days I’ll get them for what they did.”

Steve frowned. It sounded like Tony was referencing the same thing, whatever it was, that he’s inferred to Steve all those months back. Deciding he should make his presence known, he knocked on the door. The voices inside dropped to a murmur, then Tony called, “Come in.” 

Steve stepped inside.

“Tony,” he nodded. “Miss Potts.” 

“Hi Steve,” Pepper smiled. “I’ll leave you to it. I have shareholders to appease.”

“Thanks Pep.”

“Bye Steve,” she smiled.

Pepper left, closing the door behind her, and the two men were left in an awkward silence. Neither of them wanted to make the first move, but eventually Tony nodded to a chair and said, “You can sit, if you want.”

Steve sat. 

“So,” he began. “What’s going on?” 

“We need to talk,” Tony announced.

“Okay.”

“About Sue and Johnny.”

Steve frowned. 

“Sue and Johnny?” he echoed, unsure of where, exactly, this was going. “What about them?”

“You remember all those blood samples they took from you?” Tony asked. “After you became… that?”

“Yeah.”

“They used them for a lot of things after you went down,” he explained. “Tried to figure out the super soldier serum. Tried to cure everything from the common cold to heart disease and TB. All failed. My dad had a vial, but I don’t know what happened to it. Everyone thought all the vials were used up. But one survived. Late nineties arrived, and SHIELD decided to experiment with it. I won’t bore you with the science, but basically they took your DNA from the blood sample and mixed it with female DNA in a lab and artificially inseminated it. There were ten samples, each one with a different female donor. They all failed. Except two. Two were carried to term. They were born within eight hours of each other.”

“What does this have to do with Johnny and Sue?” Steve frowned. Tony stared at him.

“Steve, it was them. Johnny and Sue survived. So they locked them up in a lab, watching them for signs that they were their new super-soldiers. You know I’m not their biological father, right?”

“Natasha mentioned it,” Steve replied.

“It’s you. You’re their biological father.”

“They’re… I’m their… Wait, SHIELD did this?” Steve asked, suddenly feeling sick.

“A department of. It’s an ongoing argument I’m having with Fury,” Tony retorted. 

“How do you come into this?”

“Came across them by accident at the lab one day. Didn’t know it was SHIELD - didn’t know SHIELD existed in those days. I got them out.”

“So, I have children,” Steve whispered.

“No, they are _my_ children,” Tony spat. 

Suddenly Steve was ten years old again, watching a mutt attack Bucky for daring to try and touch one of her pups. The look in Tony’s eyes was identical to that dog’s. It was terrifying, the strength of emotion he felt directed towards him. And not the good kind, either. 

“You may have given them your DNA,” Tony continued, eyeing him warily, “But everything else, that’s on me.”

“Tony, I understand-”

“No you don’t,” he interrupted. “You don’t Cap. Not until you’ve seen a six year old mesmerised because she’s never seen a tree before. Or heard them scream the house down because they’ve never experienced a thunderstorm before. Or seen a child stare blankly for weeks on end. Or seen the look in her eyes when she can’t answer when you ask her her name. Because six years old, and they never gave either of them a goddamn name. _I’m_ the one who made parent-teacher conferences, the one who fought for the best child psychologists, who taught them what it was like living outside of a laboratory. Told them that they were worth more than their DNA. They are _my_ kids.” 

“Then why tell me?” Steve shot back. 

Tony looked away. The set of his jaw belied how much he didn’t want to answer that question.

“Because sooner or later, they’re going to want to meet you,” he said eventually. “They know you’re their father. I’ve never hidden that.”

Unspoken, but nevertheless obvious, was the _I never thought I’d have to_. Silence fell. Steve was too busy trying to get his head around the information Tony had thrown at him. He was a _father_. Maybe only in biology, but nonetheless, he had children. Plural. Something he was certain would never happen after waking in the future, and certainly not after realising that the only person he felt any sort of attraction to in this time was a man. The same man that sat before him, eyeballing Steve suspiciously. 

“So where do we go from here?” Steve asked.

“I don’t know,” Tony replied. 

Steve studied him. Tony couldn’t make it any clearer - either through his tone, his words, or his body language - that he did not want Steve involved in Sue and Johnny’s lives. Yet, he was making the effort, putting his own feelings aside for his children; wasn’t that what a good father was supposed to do?

“I guess,” Steve said eventually, “I need some time. To process. It’s a lot to take in.”

Tony nodded.

“You know where to find me,” he shrugged, and Steve knew he’d been dismissed. 

X

Steve was at a loss. On one hand he wanted desperately to be a part - however small - of his children’s lives. On the other hand, Tony had made it clear that he did not want that to happen. Throw in the fact that Steve liked Tony, cared about him even - without taking into account his burgeoning attraction to the man - and they still had to work together despite the fact that they had, unwittingly, ended up sharing two children, and the whole thing looked like an unfathomable tangle. He needed someone to talk to, someone to help him see through his feeling to the best solution for everyone. He considered Natasha, who he was growing closer to with every training exercise, but he was reluctant to reveal the truth about Sue and Johnny’s parentage to anyone who didn’t already know without Tony’s consent. And asking Tony’s consent would require an explanation as to why he wanted to reveal the information which rather defeated the point of the exercise. Plus there was the whole SHIELD aspect to consider - and yes, he would be having words with Fury himself. Therefore, what he needed was someone who already knew the truth.

Then it struck him: Pepper.

Clearly she knew Johnny and Sue were his from the conversation he’d overheard, and she knew Tony better than anyone else. If anyone could help him work through his current dilemma, Pepper Potts could. Providing, of course, she was willing. 

Lacking any way of contacting her that didn’t involve going through Tony, Steve decided to simply visit her office and hope she didn’t kick him straight to the kerb. 

Unfortunately, he was accosted at the door by the head of security.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“I just wanted to talk to Miss Potts,” Steve replied.

“No can do,” the man replied. “No badge.”

“Huh?” Steve frowned.

“No badge, no entry.”

“Look, I just wanted to ask Miss Potts if-“

“Buddy,” the head of security interrupted. “What part of _no badge, no entry_ don’t you get?”

“All of it, actually,” Steve retorted.

“Right, I need your name and who you’re working for. This is the last time-“

“Steve?”

“Miss Potts,” Steve smiled. Never in his life had he been so relieved to see someone. Maybe she could explain this guy’s obsession with badges.

“You know this guy?” the head of security frowned.

“Yes, Happy, Steve’s okay,” Pepper smiled. “What are you doing here?” she asked Steve.

“I was hoping I could talk to you, actually,” Steve shrugged. “Hoping you could, I don’t know, maybe give me some advice.”

Pepper nodded knowingly. 

“Come on up,” she called. “Happy, in future, Steve has total access.”

Once in her office, Pepper smiled, indicating for Steve to take a seat. 

“Sorry about that,” she apologised. “Happy’s new to the position, and he takes the use of badges very seriously.”

“It’s okay,” Steve smiled. “I hope you don’t mind me just turning up like this.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” she assured him. “You want to talk about the twins, right?”

“Right… How did you know?”

“ _My_ superpower,” she grinned. “What’s on your mind?”

Steve sighed, resting his elbows on his knees. What was on his mind? A jumble mostly. A twisted, tangled, confused jumble of feelings that he didn’t know how to unravel.

“I want to be part of their life,” he said. “But Tony clearly doesn’t want me in it. And I don’t want to hurt him by insisting he lets me in. And I don’t want to push the fact that I have feelings for him, incase he thinks I’m trying to use him to get close to Sue and Johnny.”

“Okay, first, Tony does want you in their lives,” Pepper corrected, “Otherwise he never would’ve told you.”

“Then-“

“Tony doesn’t like to share,” she declared. “It’s not entirely his fault; he’s never had to. An only child who had everyone doting on him since birth - except his father - and the closest thing he ever came to a sibling was a bad tempered flamingo.”

Steve frowned.

“Wait, what?”

“Howard. Don’t ask,” Pepper sighed. “What I’m saying is, Tony wants you in the twins’ lives. But he doesn’t know how to let you in. He’s afraid of losing them to you.”

“So how do I make this work?” Steve asked.

“Make him think it’s on his terms,” she instructed. “Don’t push. Offer things, but leave it open. Give him the chance to come to you.”

“Sounds like you’re talking about a horse.”

Pepper laughed.

“Give him time,” she added. “He never expected to have to share the responsibility. He took them on, knowing full well he would be the only parent they knew. And now he isn’t.”

“Why did he take them in?” Steve asked, curiosity getting the better of him. 

“He didn’t plan it,” Pepper explained. “One minute we’re going to look at unmanned aircraft, the next he’s walking into a lab and there’s these kids on the floor. It was… horrifying. They had one toy, and Johnny, he was curled in a ball and wouldn’t even look at us. No child should have to go through that. I don’t think Tony thought about it; he just knew he had to get them out of there. I think part of him realised that he was the only one who could get away with taking them out. Then later, I asked him what he was going to do. He said that somebody had to look after them, and anybody else, the government would find a way to get them back. But they knew they couldn’t take him on. Besides,” she smiled, “They’d already stolen his heart.”

“So you were there that day?”

“Yeah,” Pepper nodded. “Give him a chance Steve. He’s trying.” 

Once back in DC, Steve pulled out his cell phone. He contemplated calling Tony, before deciding that calling him was probably putting him on the spot too much. Better to send a text, allow Tony the time to think about things before he replied. He considered his words carefully, checking and double checking the phrasing with Pepper’s advice in mind.

_Hi Tony, thank you for telling me about Johnny and Sue. If it’s alright with you, if they ever decide they want to meet me, then I’d love to meet them. Even if they only want to know me as your colleague, I’m fine with that._

He didn’t expect to hear anything from Tony for a while, suspecting the man would need time to consider the offer, and that when he did it would simply be an acknowledgement. But only minutes later, his phone buzzed with a message. Steve blinked in surprise.

**_Tony Stark_ **

_I’ll talk to them and let you know what they say._

X

Steve stood as they approached, his eyes darting between Sue and Johnny. They briefly settled on Tony’s, for a moment longer than was comfortable, before returning to the twins. Tony could see the bob of Steve’s Adam’s apple as he swallowed nervously. It was reassuring, that he wasn’t the only one afraid.

“Hey Cap,” he greeted.

“Hi Tony,” Steve nodded.

From experience, Tony knew it was better to give Johnny time to settle in to new situations - and this was certainly a new situation - so he turned to his daughter. He squeezed her hand in encouragement. 

“Hi,” Sue whispered.

“Hi,” Steve echoed.

“I’m Susan,” she introduced herself, holding out one hand. “But you can call me Sue.”

“Steve,” he replied, shaking her hand. “You have no idea how good it is to meet you.” Then Steve turned towards Johnny. “And you must be Johnny?”

Tony cringed internally. _Bad move, Cap. Don’t engage unless he reaches out first._

“Guess I must be,” Johnny muttered.

“Johnny,” Tony snapped.

“Sorry, pops,” Johnny signed. He gathered himself, and when he looked up, Tony recognised Johnny’s public persona. “Sorry. Yeah, I’m Johnny.”

He made no move to shake Steve’s hand, and to Tony’s relief, Steve didn’t offer. Tony shepherded them into sitting down at the table Steve had claimed, as though this was something he did every day and was totally cool about it. He clicked his fingers to gain the waitress’ attention.

“Hi, double espresso - no - better make it a triple,” he ordered. “Cap? What d’you want?”

“Earl grey tea. Thanks.”

“And an iced chai tea latte?” Tony turned to Sue. She nodded. “And a mango passion fruit frappuccino,” he finished, looking at Johnny.

“Thanks pops.”

Tony winked.

“Pops?” Steve asked. “Not…”

“I’m not their dad,” Tony stated. “That title always belonged to you.”

“Even though you thought I died seventy years ago?”

“You’re still their father,” Tony shrugged. “Biologically speaking.”

Steve met his eyes, and Tony knew that Steve understood exactly what he was saying. That while Steve may be Sue and Johnny’s biological father and Tony was perfectly happy to concede that, he was not about to relinquish his role as her primary caregiver, protector, and father-figure without a fight. That it was not a matter of pride, but a matter of protecting the children that they, somehow, had ended up sharing. Steve had to measure up if he wanted even a tiny part of the twin’s lives. Still, Tony did feel a little guilty.

Steve nodded. He understood. And accepted the challenge. 

Tony’s mouth quirked upwards.

“So, you two are thirteen, right?” Steve asked. “When were you born?”

“July eighth nineteen ninety nine,” Sue replied. 

“What year are you in at school?”

“I’m in eighth grade, Johnny’s in seventh.”

Steve frowned. 

“You’re in different grades?”

“Yeah, I was too messed up in the head, so I got held back a year,” Johnny smirked.

“Johnny!” Sue exclaimed.

“What? I’m crazy. He might as well know that from the get go,” Johnny retorted.

“Hey,” Tony said gently. Johnny’s smile was brittle. Tony leaned forward. “You need a minute?” he murmured.

Johnny looked down. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Steve turn his head respectfully, studying Sue instead. Johnny fiddled with the hem of his hoodie.

“Nah,” he whispered. “I’m good. Sorry pops.”

Tony squeezed his hand.

“You have nothing to apologise for.”

“Sorry,” Johnny said to Steve. Tony felt Johnny’s finger wrap around his own. He had to swallow the rush of nostalgia, at memories of Johnny in the early days after the rescue doing the exact same thing when he needed comfort.

“Nothing to apologise for,” Steve shook his head. “Is there anything you two want to ask me?”

“Do we have any brothers or sisters?” Sue asked. 

Steve shook his head.

“No,” he smiled. “I was never married. There was… I had a girl, kind of,” he shrugged. “But nothing ever came of it. I was dead, she moved on.”

“What family did you have?”

“My dad died when I was a kid,” Steve explained. “But my mom, Sarah, she was alive until I was eighteen. That was it. I was an only child. But I had Bucky.”

“Who’s Bucky?” Johnny asked.

Steve glanced at him in surprise.

“My best friend,” he replied. “But, really, he was like my brother. Always saved my ass when I got into fights with people twice my size. Which happened a lot.”

“What happened to him?” Sue asked.

Steve’s gaze dropped. Tony watched as his mouth opened and closed as he tried to formulate an answer, battling to say those two simple words: he died. Because of course Tony knew who Bucky Barnes was, and what had happened to him. He’d died on a train in Switzerland nearly seventy years ago, but for Steve, it wasn’t. As far as he was concerned, his plane had gone down five months ago and Bucky died two weeks before that. It was all so recent. Tony tried to imagine what it would be like to lose Rhodey, and instantly wanted to vomit. 

Leaning across the table, he gripped Steve’s shoulder. Steve looked up, and Tony found himself looking into Steve’s face. Silently, he asked Steve _are you okay?_ Steve gave a brief smile in reply. Tony removed his hand, satisfied Steve would be okay, and tried to ignore the warmth that tugged somewhere below his arc reactor. 

“You know,” Steve began, unable to answer Sue’s question. He smiled, “If he was here, Bucky would find this hilarious. Me, with…” He trailed off, glancing nervously at Tony. Tony found himself curious, despite himself. “The idea of me, however… minutely having kids, he’d laugh his ass off. Yeah, he’d love this.”

Sue grinned, and even Johnny smiled - an honest smile, not a press smile - and Tony found himself relaxing and, for a moment, experienced a brief burst of hope that he and Steve could find a way to make this work together. 

X

Tony glanced up from the boot he had dismantled across his workstation as the door opened and Johnny slinked in to the workshop. Noticing the headphones, Tony waved then turned back to the boot, knowing that Johnny would either speak or sign when he was ready. Besides, his presence alone was comforting. 

Half an hour later, Tony sat up, stretching the kinks out of his back after reassembling the boot. He glanced towards Johnny; his son pushed off his headphones.

“Hey kiddo,” Tony smiled. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Johnny replied. He wandered over, hopping up to sit on the workbench. 

“You sure?” Tony prodded.

“Yeah, I just…” Johnny huffed. 

“Take your time,” Tony murmured. “Find the words.”

Johnny stared at the suits on the wall.

“I’m angry,” he said finally. “I’m angry at him.”

“Why?” Tony replied. 

“Because… Because he’s our dad, supposedly, and he, he didn’t come and rescue us,” Johnny explained, playing with a thread on the sleeve of his hoodie. “And I feel like he should’ve.”

“He was kinda frozen in a block of ice at the time,” Tony pointed.

“I know. I know all that,” Johnny scowled. “I know it’s stupid, and irrational. But I just, I’m just angry. Because he should’ve been the one to rescue us and he didn’t. And I know I can’t hold it against him but, but…”

“You wish you could?”

“Yeah,” he deflated. 

“I get that,” Tony nodded. “You’re allowed to be mad at your parents. Even me.”

“I’m not mad at you,” Johnny mumbled.

“I get mad at my dad,” Tony added. “He was… He was cold. And not because he spent time as a capsicle. He never told me he loved me, hell, he never even told me he liked me. And that hurts. But, I think, I hope, he tried his best. Sometimes our best isn’t good enough. It’s sucks. Give it time. Give him time. It’s new for him too.”

Johnny huffed again. Tony chuckled; he stood and pulled Johnny into his arms. Pressing a kiss against the crown of his head, Tony murmured, “I love you kid.”

“Love you too pops."

X

“So what are your plans for Christmas?” Tony asked, handing Steve a drink. It wouldn’t affect him, but Steve liked the taste. Plus, in situations like this, the Stark Industries Christmas part, it made him feel more, well, normal. 

“Sit in my apartment and watch crappy television,” Steve smiled wryly. He tapped his glass against Tony’s. “Living the American dream.”

Tony snorted. He paused, glass halfway to his mouth, and frowned. 

“Is Barton climbing into a vent?”

“Yeah,” Steve nodded, without turning around. “I heard Natasha dare him. He’s had a few.”

“That super-soldier hearing is something else, huh?” Tony replied. “Susie’s always been above average with hearing. Not on your level, but, you know.”

‘So they have some… abilities?” Steve asked.

Tony waggled his hand, in the universal symbol for yes and no. 

“They don’t get sick,” he explained, “But if they get hurt, they heal at a regular rate. It’s like they have a really, really great immune system. Which, you know, is good for me since mine’s shot to hell. Susie hears better than average, Johnny’s fast. Not as fast as you, but-“

“Above average,” Steve finished.

“Yeah,” Tony grinned.

Steve nodded. He took a sip of his drink, before turning in time to see Clint fall out of a vent and onto an unsuspecting waiter and a plate of vol-au-vonts. He and Tony burst out laughing.

“Oh, God, JARVIS, I hope you were filming that,” Tony snorted.

“Of course, sir.”

“I owe Natasha fifty bucks,” Steve sighed. Tony cocked his head. “Because I’m the one who bet her that she couldn’t convince him to do it,” Steve finished.

“Cap,” Tony grinned. “Oh, Captain. You didn’t?”

“I absolutely did,” Steve nodded. “We were on a stakeout. It was long and really boring. When Thor gets back, I have to convince him that toasters are sentient and once tried to take over the world.”

“Please can I be there?” 

“Sure,” he grinned. “Hey, can I ask you something? I’ve noticed a couple of times now that you sign with Johnny sometimes.”

“Yeah,” Tony nodded slowly. “When I rescued them, he was entirely non-verbal,” he explained. “Trauma. Does that sometimes. So I learned sign language and taught them both so we could communicate. Even now, he’s only semi-verbal. When he has bad days, he can’t speak.”

Steve nodded.

“So what about you? What’re your plans for Christmas?”

“We’re flying back to Malibu tomorrow,” Tony replied. “Spending the holidays there. Just the three of us. Well, Pepper’s going too. She’s working out of the west coast office for a while. She’ll probably come over for Christmas dinner. Hey, why don’t you come?”

“What?” Steve turned towards him sharply. 

“You should come with us,” Tony said. “Yeah. It’ll give you a chance to spend some time with the twins.”

“Are you sure?”

Tony didn’t exactly look thrilled about what he was proposing. But Steve remembered Pepper’s talk, and couldn’t deny that the idea of spending Christmas with his children was, to say the least, appealing.

“Yeah. It’ll be cool,” Tony shrugged. 

“That sounds nice, Tony. I’d love to,” Steve smiled.

“Great. Well, the jet leaves from Teterboro at eleven. Be there at least an hour before take off, or I can have you picked up?”

“I’ll meet you there,” Steve replied. It was probably best. He didn’t want to crowd Tony too much. “Thank you.”

Tony held his gaze.

“Nothing to thank me for.”


	2. Splinter...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tony has paranoia, panic attacks and pancakes. Enter the megalomaniac terrorist stage left.

****Tony loved Christmas as a child. Or, perhaps to be more specific, he loved the Christmases without his parents as a child. His mom always tried to make an effort, and he loved her for that, but his dad would always ruin it, and his mom was always left trying to keep the peace between Howard and Tony. It wasn't easy and it wasn't fair. So pretty soon, Howard started taking his wife away for Christmas. And in the beginning, Tony was gutted to be left alone. But then Ana Jarvis came in and swept him up, chivvying him into the kitchen where they would make gingerbread cookies and Christmas cake, and eat szaloncukor in front of the fire while she told him stories of Christmas in Hungary. Jarvis would buy the biggest Christmas tree he could find, and help Ana and Tony decorate it while singing Christmas carols at the top of his voice. Even after all these years, Tony could still smell the Christmas pudding. Even after Ana died, Tony and Jarvis held on to those traditions, finding a little light in their grief thanks to the memories inspired.

Then his parents died, just a week before Christmas. And suddenly Tony was alone. Christmas fell by the wayside after that. It was yet another excuse to drink himself stupid – a hard task for someone as smart as Tony, but one he attempted at every given opportunity. He didn't celebrate Christmas; all it inspired were memories of happier times, which in turn made him realise how little he had. Far easier to pop open another bottle and pick up another girl than face the facts of his pathetic existence. 

But then Sue and Johnny came into his life. And the realisation that they had never celebrated Christmas before. Had never so much as seen a Christmas tree. And Tony decided then and there to resurrect the traditions that had died with Jarvis and pass them on to his children. He found a Hungarian bakery in Pasadena that made gingerbread cookies that, while not as good as Ana's, were delicious, and sought out a European supermarket that sold szaloncukor which they would share in front of the fire as Tony told them stories of his childhood Christmases. And just like that, he loved Christmas again. 

Then there was New York and suddenly Steve Rogers was back from the dead and part of the twin’s lives. And Tony wanted to include Steve in his plans for the holidays, but it was… terrifying, the thought of asking him to join them in Malibu, which meant letting him in. Not Tony’s strong suit at the best of times. It would be Steve’s first Christmas since waking, and his first since meeting the twins, and other than then Avengers and the twins, he had no one in the present. He deserved the chance to spent it with his family. 

“Sir, may I remind you you’ve been awake for seventy two hours?” JARVIS said.

Tony ignored him. He had to. Just like he had to stay awake and stay busy, because if he wasn’t awake and busy he would think about the fact that Sue had convinced Steve and Johnny to go Christmas shopping with her. A fairly innocuous past-time, but the last thing he needed was for Sue and Johnny to gather more data on how terrible Tony was in comparison to Steve. It would only reduce the time for them to reach the inevitable conclusion that they would be better off with their biological father than their adoptive one and leave. That’s what people did; they left. And Tony was not prepared for that day. 

“Focus up ladies,” he called to his suits. “Good evening, and welcome to the birthing suite. I'm pleased to announce the imminent arrival of your bouncing, badass, baby brother. Start tight, then go wide,” he instructed You. “Mark 42 prehensile suit propulsion test: initialise sequence. JARVIS, drop my needle.”

The record player came to life, blaring out a remix of _Jingle Bells_ that would've elicited a string of complaints from Jarvis if he'd ever heard it for ' _destroying a Christmas classic, Master Stark, that noise is terrible, how can you stand it?'_ Damn, he missed Jarvis. Moving in time to the beat, he held out his arm to call the suit.

Nothing.

He held out his arm again, but still nothing.

“Crap,” he muttered, licking any remnants of blood from the sensors he'd injected into his arm. Then he raised his arm again, and finally, finally the gauntlet flew onto his hand, closely followed by a shoulder plate. Holding out his other arm, the second gauntlet flew across the workshop. Tony laughed. “Okay, I think we got this,” he declared. “Send 'em all.” 

The rest of the Mark 42 began to fly towards him, and while one leg fitted perfectly, there was a smash of glass from another wayward piece.

“Probably a little fast,” he decided. “Slow it down, slow it down...” He ducked to avoid being taken out by his own suit. “... just a little bit.” 

He was sent flying towards the ground by the back plate; luckily he was able to engage the repulsors before face-planting. That would've been embarrassing, even if JARVIS and his bots were the only ones around to see it. 

“Cool it just a little bit JARVIS,” he added. 

The rest of the suit found its way to him, until only the faceplate was left. It crashed into a table, knocking the needle from the record and cutting off the music, until it hovered, facing Tony almost defiantly. Well, it was _his_ suit. 

“Come on,” Tony ordered. “I ain't scared of you.”

The faceplate advanced, clipping a shelf and turning itself upside down. Tony engaged the repulsors and flipped so the plate slotted perfectly in place, before landing what he thought was a pretty damn good superhero landing. 

“I'm the best,” he declared. 

Until he was taken out by a rogue piece of suit, sending him sprawling and the Mark 42 spilling across the floor.

“As always sir, a great pleasure watching you work,” JARVIS intoned. 

Maybe seventy two hours _was_ too long between siestas…

Hauling himself to his feet, Tony knew when to admit defeat. He stumbled upstairs, throwing himself onto the sofa and flicked on the television to some mindless comedy show. Pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes, Tony knew it would take more than another cup of coffee to bring him back to life. But he didn’t want to sleep either, not with his mind working overtime, not to mention with the Other Thing to consider too. Only he didn’t want to think about that either. He didn’t want to think at all. Thinking made his brain hurt. For a moment he found himself almost longing for the days when he could lose himself in a drunken, drug induced haze and forget the real world. But he’d put that part of his life behind him. Illegal substances went out the door when he gained a little girl and a little boy who replied on him entirely for their safety.

“ _Some people call me a terrorist, I consider myself a teacher_.”

Tony pulled his hands away from his face, frowning at the television and the decidedly un-funny video that had replaced his mindless comedy. Which was weird, because no matter how out of it he may be, he was fairly certain it had only been halfway through the show. 

“Uh, JARVIS? What did you do to the TV?”

“It's not me sir, it appears to be broadcasting on every channel.”

“ _America... Ready for another lesson? In 1864 in Sandcreek, Colorado, the US Military waited until the friendly Cheyenne braves had all gone hunting. Waited to attack and slaughter the families left behind._ ”

“What the...?” Tony leaned forward. 

“ _And claim their land. Thirty nine hours ago, Ali-al-Salam airbase in Kuwait was attacked. I... I... I did that. A quaint military church filled with wives and children, of course. The soldiers were out on manoeuvres. The braves were away..._ ”

Tony felt a chill, deep in his bones. 

“ _President Ellis, you continue to resist my attempts to educate you sir, and now you've missed me again. You know who I am. You don't know where I am, and you'll never see me coming._ ”

And then the comedy was back, halfway through the laugh track. Tony stared at the screen.

“JARVIS, trace that transmission.”

“I'm sorry sir, there is no trace.”

“Keep working on it,” Tony ordered. He glanced at the clock. Steve and the twins would be a few hours yet. He grabbed his cell phone from the table, hitting speed dial. “Hey buddy, want to grab some lunch…?”

X

Okay, lunch was not a good idea. 

He broke a crayon, then had a goddamn panic attack. Oh, he could blame the kid for mentioning the wormhole, the source of his nightmares for the past six months when he wasn't worrying about Sue and Johnny leaving him, but the truth was it had started with the crack of wax. How ridiculous was that? If he couldn't cope with a crayon breaking, something he'd experienced literally hundreds of times when the kids were younger, how on earth could he cope with, well, anything? 

Tony all but fell out of the suit, stumbling to the nearest workbench and clutching it like it was the only thing keeping him up. Which in all honesty, it probably was. He flicked his thumb under his eyes, removing any moisture that lingered there. He was _not_ about to cry over a freaking crayon for God's sake. Tony glanced around the workshop, at the array of suits behind their glass casings.

“Time to work,” he muttered. 

X

“So, did you have fun?” Sue asked, holding the door open for Steve and Johnny.

 

“I… It was interesting,” Steve replied diplomatically. Sue giggled. 

“You hated it,” she stated. 

“No!” Steve insisted. “No… It’s… It’s just different. Christmas was different when I was a kid. The depression started when I was ten. But even before that, we didn’t have much. It just seems so much more…”

“Commercial,” Sue supplied.

“Good word,” Steve nodded.

“Were you there?” Johnny asked innocently.

“Where?” Steve frowned. 

“At the very first Christmas?” Johnny grinned.

“Idiot,” Sue shook her head. “Don’t worry,” she assured Steve. “Our Christmas traditions aren’t all about commercialism. Pop’ll surprise you.”

Through years of practise, Steve was able to keep his face impassive. However, he was surprised that Tony didn't put the value of Christmas in just that: the value. Since arriving in Malibu and witnessing Tony's mansion first hand, it had really started to sink in exactly how rich Tony was. Yes, he owned a tower in the middle of Manhattan, but it was this house – the place both Tony and the twins referred to as home – that really made it sink in. 

“I’m very surprising,” Tony’s voice declared, causing them all to jump. Then Johnny burst out laughing.

“What, you’re wearing that in the house now?” he asked, pointing to the suit that sat on the couch. Steve quirked an eyebrow. This was weird, right? Tony sitting around the house in his suit? This had to be abnormal behaviour. But the way neither Sue nor Johnny seemed totally unfazed by it all, perhaps it wasn’t. 

“I’m just wearing it in,” Tony replied. “It always, you know, chafes a little at first, down in the-“

“Stop!” Sue interrupted, throwing her hands up while Johnny snickered in the background. “I don’t need to hear this.”

“Finish Christmas shopping?”

“We did,” Sue nodded. Steve held up the carrier bags he’d insisted on holding for her.

“What did you get me?”

“It a surprise,” Johnny replied, tapping the ‘nose’ of the faceplate.

Steve smiled. Okay, maybe this wasn’t normal by other people’s standards, but when had Tony Stark ever done anything by other people’s standards? He lived in a world of his own, and clearly Sue and Johnny were party to it. Steve was just glad he was invited in, however temporarily. He crossed the room, leaving the bags by the table where he noticed a pile of papers. Frowning, he picked them up, his frown soon changing into a smile. The papers were all filled with drawings of Iron Man, clearly from young fans. While the technique may be missing in many of them, Steve appreciated the care and attention that had gone into them. 

“You wanna take that thing off now?” Johnny asked.

“Hmm, I’m gonna pass,” Tony replied.

“Pops.”

“You know, I think I’m stuck. Sorry.”

“Then I’ll just have to get a crowbar,” Johnny declared, turning towards the stairs. 

Steve shook his head as he continued to look through the drawings. No, definitely not normal.

X

“Uh, you don’t wanna go down there,” Tony said quickly. “Radiation leak, very messy. Could turn into a Hulk-esque situation. Better you just stay here.”

“I’ll take my chances,” Johnny called, jumping down the stairs. 

Johnny’s footsteps on the stairs echoed across the lab, and Tony groaned, “Busted,” before dropping from the bar he was using to do pull-ups. 

“Pops?” Johnny frowned, glancing between Tony and the suit of his heels. 

Tony turned, a huge grin on his face.

“Hey kiddo.”

“What are you doing?” Johnny asked. 

“He was just hosting you while I finished up a little work,” Tony explained.

“Hosting me?” Johnny echoed, folding his arms. Uh oh. Tony knew that expression. It was the expression that had led to all their argument, none of which he’d won. Now he knew that that expression came straight from Steve. “Wait, you had dinner without us?”

“I didn’t know if you were coming home, or if you were having dinner with Steve,” Tony shrugged. 

Johnny stared. 

“Then we would’ve called, pops. That’s why you gave me a cell phone.” Johnny shook his head. “I don’t know what’s going on with you right now.”

With that he turned and headed for the stairs again. Tony felt his airway constrict, a burning in the back of his eyes. Here it was: the moment his little boy started to pull away from him. He knew he should just let go, make it less painful for him. But he couldn’t.

“Johnny, wait,” he called, holding up his hands. “I’m sorry. Hey, I admit it. My fault.” Johnny paused, glancing over his shoulder at him. Tony dropped his hand. “I’m a piping hot mess,” he admitted. “It’s been going on for a while, and I haven’t said anything… Nothing’s been the same since New York.”

And wasn’t that the truth? Because on top of the battle, on top of the fact he’d nearly died, New York was the moment when Steve Rogers came into their lives, shaking the foundations of the life Tony had built for himself.

“Really?” Johnny retorted. “I hadn’t noticed. Except, you know, for the fact my super-soldier sperm donor is standing upstairs.”

And Tony had to bite back a smile, because that sarcasm was all him. 

“You experience things, and then they’re over and you still can’t explain them,” he continued, folding his arms. “Gods, aliens, other dimensions. I’m just a man in a can. The only reason I haven’t cracked up is because I have you, kiddo. You and your sister. I love you, I’m so lucky to have you, far luckier than I deserve. But, kid, I can’t sleep. You go to bed, I come down here. I do what I know. I tinker.” Tony took a deep breath, unaccustomed to bearing his soul so thoroughly to anyone - yet he and Johnny had always shared a deep emotional bond. “A threat is imminent, and I have to protect the one thing I can’t live without. That’s you two. And my suits, they’re, uh, they’re part of me.”

“I get that,” Johnny replied. “But it sounds like a distraction. Like you’re hiding from something.”

“Maybe,” Tony admitted. Definitely. Johnny stared at his feet, before closing the distance between them. Slipping his arms around Tony’s waist, he fitted perfectly under his chin. Despite everything, Tony smiled. He pressed a kiss to his temple. Pulling back a little, Johnny tugged the HUD headset from his head.

“Sue took Steve’s to Marek’s for gingerbread cookies,” Johnny said softly. “Steve’s never seen _Gremlins_ , which is a crime. We’re gonna have some with hot chocolate and introduce him to the mogwais.”

“Good,” Tony nodded.

“You’re coming too.”

“Better,” he smiled, allowing Johnny to sling an arm around his shoulders and drag him upstairs. 

X

For the first time since waking in 2010, Steve felt at home. He’d expected it when he lived in Brooklyn, and been disappointed when it failed to materialise. He’d wondered if it would appear when he moved to Washington DC with no avail. Now, finally, on the other side of the country, he’d found it. He still thought it was weird to have Christmas without the slightest hint of snow in the air, but he couldn’t deny it felt festive with the excessively large Christmas tree in the background while they ate Hungarian gingerbread cookies and drank hot chocolate and watched _Gremlins_.

“In what way is this a Christmas movie?” he’d objected when Johnny chose it.

“It’s set at Christmas,” his son shrugged.

“It doesn’t sound very Christmassy.”

Tony’s mouth twitched.

“Depends on your family.” He nudged Sue. “Remember the yeah we went with Pepper to her family?”

“Oh God!” Sue laughed. “They hated you.”

“Yeah. I could’ve used some poker playing gremlins to draw their fire,” he shuddered.

“So what’s the story with the gingerbread cookies?” Steve asked. “Which, by the way, are amazing.”

“I know, right?” Tony exclaimed, spraying crumbs everywhere.

“Pops made them every Christmas with Ana Jarvis,” Sue explained.

“Jarvis?” Steve echoed.

“The original, Edwin Jarvis,” Johnny supplied.

“There was a real Jarvis? Sorry, no offence,” Steve added, with a glance to the ceiling.

“None taken, Captain Rogers,” JARVIS sniffed.

Tony snorted into his hot chocolate, winding his arm around Sue’s shoulders.

Now, hours later, the credits finished rolling, and Steve glanced across to find Tony and Sue both sound asleep. They’d ended up sprawled, half sitting, half lying on the couch, with Sue tucked under Tony’s arm. Steve caught Johnny’s eye, and they shared a smile. Steve was fairly certain that was the first time Johnny had really smiled at him. 

“I’m gonna go go to bed,” Johnny whispered.

“Okay. Good night,” Steve replied. 

Johnny nodded. Steve watched him go, then took one final glance at Tony and Sue. He flicked off the TV, and left the room, returning straight away with a blanket which he draped carefully over them. Sue shifted, and Steve held his breath, but she simply burrowed her face further into Tony’s shoulder. In response, Tony’s arm tightened around her. Tiptoeing out of the room, Steve headed to bed himself.

X

_A missile. The wormhole gaping over the city. The only way to save the city was through the wormhole. And the only person to do it was him. BANG! Calling Pepper. Pepper, pick up! Sue. His baby girl laughing. Johnny. His little boy holding his hand. The bile rising in his throat as he realises he’ll never seen them again. Then falling._

_Falling._

_Falling._

_Falling._

Movement woke Sue. It took her a moment to realise that she’d fallen asleep while watching the movie, apparently falling asleep on her pops. Her pops who was now shaking and twitching, small whimpers coming from the back of his throat as he clutched a pillow.

“Pops,” she whispered. Sitting up, she reached forward and shook his shoulder. “Pop. Pops!”

Suddenly she was yanked away from him. She fell back on the sofa and found herself staring up into the face of one of the suits. Despite the fact that the faceplate was expressionless, Sue could swear the suit was glaring at her, accusing her, as if she’d tried to hurt him. She couldn’t help it; she screamed.

Tony jerked awake, tumbling off of the couch with a _thunk_. Realising he was face to face with the feet of the Mark 42, Tony cried, “Power down!” The lights went out of the suit’s eyes immediately, and Tony felt a little of his breath return. He scrambled to find his feet, with the intention of knocking the suit to pieces just in case it somehow powered up again. But suddenly the suit fell apart without him touching it. Tony jumped up and spotted Steve  of the stairs, clearly straight out of bed, catching his shield while glaring at Tony. Johnny dodged around him and ran to Sue, helping her to her feet.

“I must’ve called it in my sleep,” Tony gasped. “That’s not supposed to happen. I’ll… recalibrate… sensors.”

“Sensors?” Steve spat. He shook his head, crossing the room to the twins. “Are you okay?” he asked Sue gently.

She nodded.

“Yeah, I… Just surprised me,” she replied. 

“Go on up to bed,” Steve instructed. “You’re safe.”

“Can I just… Just give me a minute to catch my breath,” Tony stammered.

Johnny glanced between the two men. His eyes hesitated on Tony. Steve nodded.

“Go. I got this.”

Reluctantly, Johnny turned away. With his arm around Sue’s shoulders, he led her upstairs.

Once they heard the twins’ bedroom doors shut, Steve turned to Tony, his expression furious. 

“What the hell?” he exclaimed. “Your suit just attacked Sue.”

“It was an accident!” Tony retorted, feeling his eyes sting. He forced himself to swallow the lump in his throat. Blinking away any moisture residing in his eyes. “It was an accident,” he repeated. “Don’t worry Cap, won’t happen again.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because I won’t let it,” Tony snapped.

X

Tony stared out at the ocean, remembering how he’d had to pry Sue away from the windows when she first arrived at the house. She’d been fascinated by the ocean, which she’d studied but never seen, and insisted he teach her how to swim immediately so he could fulfil his promise to take her swimming in the sea. He smiled into his coffee. She was a real water baby. They’d spent hours in the pool and at the beach, creating some of Tony’s favourite memories. 

“Pops?”

He jumped when Sue spoke, but smiled when he turned and his eyes fell on his daughter.

“Hey sweetheart,” he greeted. “You okay?”

“Always,” Sue nodded. 

“Susie, I’m so sorry,” Tony began. 

“Pops, no,” she shook her head. “You have nothing to apologise for.”

“Last night should not have happened,” he insisted. 

“It was an accident,” Sue declared. She tucked herself under his arm. “I love you.”

“Love you too princess,” Tony murmured. He dropped a kiss against the crown of her head. “You hungry?” he asked, pulling back a little.

“If you’re offering food, I want in,” Johnny called, stumbling into the kitchen. “I’m starving.”

“You? Hungry? Never?” Tony retorted. “Alright, you’re the boss, I am merely your humble servant. What d’you want?” 

“Pancakes,” Johnny replied instantly. 

“With syrup,” Sue finished.

“Ooh, and bacon!” Johnny added

“Maybe some fruit,” Sue said.

“Wait, do we have any salmon?” Johnny frowned. 

“My God, are you trying to eat me out of house and home?” Tony asked, only half joking. “JARVIS, gimme a beat.”

“Of course sir,” the AI replied.

X

Steve followed the smell of pancakes and the sound of music and laughter downstairs, finding the twins and Tony in the kitchen. He hesitated in the doorway, unsure of how exactly the land lay between himself and Tony after last night.

“Good morning,” he called.

“Hi Steve,” Sue smiled. 

“Morning,” Tony nodded. “If you want pancakes, I’d advise you to get in fast before big mouth over there eats them all,” he added, nodding towards Johnny. “Otherwise, I got some leftover waffles."

“Pancakes. Please,” Steve replied. “Thank you.” 

“Park it and grab a plate them,” Tony instructed. “Coming right up,” he added, perfectly flipping the half-cooked pancake in the pan. “You, back off,” he ordered Johnny.

“I’m a growing boy,” Johnny insisted.

“Uh huh,” Tony smirked. 

Steve took a plate, climbing onto the stool between Sue and Johnny before accepting the pancake from Tony with thanks, managing to nab a piece of bacon before Johnny could get to it and drenching it in syrup. 

“Hey Sue,” Johnny said, leaning around Steve. “Dance battle?”

“You’re on,” Sue replied. She stuffed the last of her pancake into her mouth as she jumped off of the stool. The twins raced out of the kitchen, the sound of their feet rumbling up the stairs echoing through the house.

“Yeah, cause that’s a great idea after two batches of pancakes,” Tony sighed. 

“Dance battle?” Steve echoed.

“Video game,” Tony supplied.

“Ah. Listen, Tony. I’m sorry about last night,” Steve said. “I just, I heard Sue scream, and it… It scared me, okay? I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, I know you’d never intentionally hurt her.”

“I should’ve made sure it wouldn’t happen, I should’ve thought of that,” Tony shook his head.

“Sir,” JARVIS interjected, “May I remind you, you had been awake for over eighty hours?”

“What?” Steve yelped.

“Way to throw me under a bus buddy,” Tony muttered.

“I was only trying to help, sir,” JARVIS replied, sounding far from apologetic.

“You’re something else, Tony,” Steve shook his head. “Most people would be practically dead if they stayed awake that long.”

“Well, I’m not most people,” Tony quipped. 

“Sir,” JARVIS interrupted. “I think you should see this.”

The AI cut off the music, and the nearest TV screen jumped into life. Steve stared in confusion at the images onscreen: somewhere in the desert, a man in aviators surrounded by terrorists with guns.

_“True story about fortune cookies. They look Chinese, they sound Chinese, but they’re actually an American invention.”_

There were people with black hoods being dragged from trucks and forced onto their knees. Steve’s eyes widened in horror.

“Tony, what the hell-“

“Shush!”

_“Which is why they’re hollow… Full of lies… And leave a bad taste in the mouth. My disciples just destroyed another cheap American knock off: the Chinese Theatre.”_

Steve recognised the place; they’d driven past it just yesterday. Only then it was filled with people, going about their business; children, families, couples. And now, in the clips onscreen before him, there were flames and ambulances and wounded everywhere.

_“Mr President, I know this must be getting frustrating, but this season of terror is drawing to a close. And don’t worry, the big one is coming. Your graduation.”_

There was one final image of the man in aviator’s shooting a picture of President Ellis, then normal service resumed. Steve turned to Tony, finding him glaring at the screen with a clenched jaw.

“What was that?” Steve asked.

“The Mandarin,” Tony muttered. “Apparently not superhero worthy. Although since he’s now blowing people up, I’d say it’s a pretty good time for a superhero, don’t you think?”

Tony’s rant, and any reply Steve might have made, was cut off by the shrill ring of Tony’s cell phone. Without glancing at the ID, he jammed it against his ear.

“What?” he snapped. “Pepper? Pep, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”

Steve watched Tony’s face fall, the blood rushing out of his face. Whatever Pepper was telling him it was not good news. Tony swallowed.

“I’m on my way,” he croaked, then hung up. “I gotta go,” he told Steve. “Don’t leave the house. Stay with the twins.”

Then he was out of the room, his footsteps audible as he took the stairs two at a time. 

“Tony!” Steve yelled after him, with no answer. 

Since Tony took off without a word a few minutes later, the roar of an engine announcing his departure, Steve decided to do his own investigation. He found his StarkPad and, situating himself on the sofa, ran a search for the Mandarin. What he found was not good. This was the Mandarin’s second highjacking of the airwaves, and his second bombing. The first had specifically targeted military families. Steve was overwhelmed by a surge of revulsion. This wasn’t war; this was murder.

“JARVIS, can I have the TV on the news please?” Steve called.

“Of course, Captain Rogers,” the AI replied, the television springing into lifer a second later. Naturally the news was focused on the bombing of the Chinese Theatre, and what exactly the Mandarin meant by ‘ _the big one is coming_ ’. As time passed, more details were revealed about the victims of the bombing. Steve continued to search on his StarkPad with one ear tuned to the TV, until he heard the word ‘Stark’. Instantly he dropped the tablet, focusing on the screen on the wall.

“…Stark Industries and Tony Stark’s former bodyguard, Harold Hogan, was injured in the blast. Reports suggest that Mr Stark has been by his employee’s bedside since early this morning, with no further news on Mr Hogan’s condition.”

Steve’s breath caught. He’d met Happy a couple of times since that first, disastrous meeting where Happy had refused to let Steve enter Stark Industries without a badge. He knew how much the man had done for both Tony and the twins over the years, and could read between the lines well enough to know how much Tony considered Happy a friend rather than an employee. Steve glanced over his shoulder towards the stairs, considering finding Sue and Johnny and informing them, before resolving to wait until there was more information on Happy’s condition. Better to spare them any unnecessary worry. 

The next time the television caught his attention however, it was Tony’s own voice rather than the reporter’s.

“Here’s a little holiday greeting I’ve been wanting to send to the Mandarin, I just didn’t know how to phrase it until now. My name is Tony Stark and I’m not afraid of you. I know you’re a coward, so I’ve decided that you just died pal. I’m gonna come get the body. There’s so politics here, it’s just good old fashioned revenge. There’s no Pentagon. It’s just you and me. And on the off-chance you’re a man, here’s my home address: 10880 Malibu Point, 90265. I’ll leave the door unlocked. That’s what you wanted, right?” Tony snatched a phone from a reporter and tossed it. “Bill me.”

“JARVIS, television off,” Steve ordered. 

He stared at the now-blank screen, Tony’s words echoing in his mind.

He sighed.

“Damn you Stark.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me rambling on tumblr here: [weethreequarter](https://weethreequarter.tumblr.com)  
> Buy me a ko-fi here: <https://ko-fi.com/weethreequarter>


	3. ... and Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Steve is angry, Tony is defensive, and everything falls apart. A little too literally.

****“Sir, I feel I should warn you that Captain Rogers is on his way down, and he is not very happy with you.”

“Story of my freaking life,” Tony muttered, surveying the details of the bombing in Tennessee which so resembled the one that had nearly killed Happy.

“What the hell did you think you were doing?”

“I’m sorry, is there a problem?” Tony asked innocently, even as he found himself with a face full of pissed-off super-soldier.

“You’re damn right there’s a problem,” Steve retorted. “You just invited a terrorist for Christmas dinner!”

“It’s not like I was going to share the turkey with him,” Tony snorted. “You’re over-reacting.”

“I’m over-reacting?” Steve echoed. “Did you even stop to think for one minute about the fact that your children are in this house? That by giving out your address on national television, you not only invited a terrorist to your house, but any number of bad guys could turn up and hurt Sue or Johnny?”

“It’s not exactly a secret where I live. I’m not Batman,” Tony pointed out. “I’ve had, like, five parties where I invited all my twitter followers here in the past two years. All you gotta do is go onto Google.”

“This isn’t a joke, Tony.”

Before Tony could retort, the doorbell rang. Both men froze.

“Are we still on ding dong? We’re supposed to be on total security lock down. Come on, I threatened a terrorist!”

Tony jumped to his feet. Steve grabbed his arm.

“Tony, you can’t go up there. What if it’s the Mandarin?”

“What do you think this is? Amateur hour?” Tony snorted. “I’m going to wear a suit.”

“Oh. Right,” Steve replied.

“You wanna get your shield and join me?”

“Good plan,” Steve nodded, before disappearing out of the lab. Tony rolled his eyes, before calling the suit to him.

But when he arrived at the front door, Tony found a pretty brunette waiting for him. Flicking up his faceplate, he frowned, “You’re not the Mandarin. Are you? Are you?”

“You don’t remember,” she chuckled. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Don’t take it personally,” he shrugged. “I don’t remember what I had for breakfast.”

“Gluten free waffles,” Steve called, appearing in the background with his shield.

“That’s right,” Tony nodded. 

“Okay, I need to be alone with you, someplace… not here. It’s urgent,” she declared.

“Normally I’d go for that sort of thing, but now’s not a great time,” Tony replied, stepping out of the suit. 

“Who are you?” Steve asked.

“Maya Hansen,” Tony replied. “Old botanist pal. Who I used to know. Barely. Can’t you do something… more… useful?” he asked Steve. 

“Okay, I’ll start packing.”

“Please don’t tell me there’s not a twelve year old kid in the car that I’ve never met,” Tony said.

“He’s thirteen.”

“She’s kidding,” Tony assured Steve, as the soldier’s eyebrows shot skywards. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I need your help,” Maya said.

“What for? Why now?”

“Because I read the papers, and frankly I don’t think you’ll last the week.”

“I like her,” Steve declared.

“Wait a second,” Tony interrupted. He turned to Steve’s retreating back. “What do you mean _you’ll go pack_? Pack what?”

“Our stuff,” Steve replied. “We’re leaving.”

“No, we’re not.” 

“Tony, you invited a terrorist to the house where your children are,” Steve pointed out. “We stay here, they are in danger. I’ve tried to stand back, tried not interfere. But not this time. Not when their lives could be at stake. Sue! Johnny!”

“Bullshit. We are not going anywhere,” Tony snapped. “I can’t protect them out there. I’ve got this place on full security lockdown.”

“And one of your exes just drove up to the front row,” Steve snapped. “How’s that working out for you? Sue! Johnny!”

“If I wasn’t so pissed at you, I’d be impressed by the level of sass displayed.”

“What’s going on?” Sue asked, appearing on the stairs with Johnny at her shoulder.

“We’re leaving,” Steve told them. 

“No, we’re not,” Tony argued.

“Yes. We are,” Steve insisted.

“No. We’re not.”

“Is this normal?” Maya called.

“Yes, this is normal,” Tony and Steve replied in unison.

“Sadly, yeah, this is totally normal,” Sue shrugged. Johnny nodded his agreement.

“We are leaving the house,” Steve declared. “That is not up for discussion.”

“Guys,” Maya called. “Can we, um… Do we need to worry about that?” she asked, pointing to the TV screen. It displayed one of the many news channels fixated on the mansion. Only there was something streaking towards the house with a trail of smoke. Steve and Tony’s eyes widened; they spun towards the windows, but it was too late.

The missile crashed through the windows, and the shock wave sent them flying. Steve was able to use his shield to block the worst of the blast, but he still crashed painfully into a wall and landed face down on the floor. Biting back a groan, he hauled himself onto his knees. 

Even as he flew through the air, Tony held out his arm, calling the Mark 42 from the lab and sending it to Johnny. He felt a surge of relief as he was encased by red and gold before wrapping himself around Sue; that relief was quickly jolted away as he smacked face first into a wall. Hauling himself off of his back, Tony scanned the room. Maya was knocked out by the far wall, Johnny safely in the suit protecting Sue. He searched for Steve, but his attention was quickly drawn by the cracking above his head. His eyes widened as the ceiling crumbled, ready to collapse where Tony lay. Closing his eyes and wincing, preparing himself, Tony attempted futilely to scramble out of the way, only for another body to roll over him. The sound of rock hitting metal snapped his eyes open and he found Steve crouching over him, shield held above them both.

“I got you,” Steve muttered.

“Like you said,” Tony said, leaping to his feet, “We can’t stay here.”

“Pops?” Sue coughed, as Johnny helped her to her feet.

“It’s okay, we’re okay,” Tony assured them. “Move! Right behind you!”

But then another missile hit, sending Tony and Steve flying back towards the windows. Instantly they were on their feet, running towards their children, only to be cut off by the crater emerging in the floor. Johnny screamed. Sue stared fearfully at them. Despite his very real fear, Tony forced himself to remain calm.

“Get her,” Tony ordered, pointing to the stirring Maya with the knowledge that in the suit Johnny could take the older woman’s weight. “We’re going to find a way around.” Neither of them moved. “Stop stopping. Get her, get outside,” he ordered. “Go!”

Johnny nodded, the faceplate falling into place, then helped Maya to her feet and dragged her to the door, using the repulser to blast the glass out of the way, Sue clinging to his shoulder. They tumbled out of the house and fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs, just as a huge chunk of the house fell onto the driveway.

“Pops! Dad!” Johnny’s voice cried.

Meanwhile, yet more missiles hit the house; the ceiling literally falling down around Tony and Steve’s ears. Where possible, Steve used his shield to deflect the worst of the debris, but even so, they both took a number of hits. Tony tried to keep his balance, but then he realised the floor was tilting. _The floor was fucking tilting_. 

“Shit,” he muttered, as he and Steve began to slip backwards toward where there had once been floor to ceiling windows and was now a huge gaping hole that as rapidly turning to face the Pacific Ocean. A piece of debris took his feet from under him, sending him sprawling. Fingers brushed his own, and Tony realised Steve was trying to help him, even as he was knocked over himself. Tony caught one of the metal beams, hauling himself onto it quickly before grabbing Steve and yanking him up with him.

“Sir, Miss Susan and Master Johnny are clear of the structure,” JARVIS announced.

A wave of relief flooded both men, but Tony in particular. It meant Johnny didn’t need the suit any further. Which was great, because he really did. As the bullets started flying, Tony held out his arm before crawling up the floor, trying to escape the hail of bullet. Steve followed, picking up on Tony’s plan, covering them with the shield so that Tony could reach the pieces of the Mark 42 as they flew towards him until he was fully suited up. And not a moment too soon.

Another missile hit, tipping the entire section of the house, preparing to slide off of the cliff edge. A mortar chunk fell, clipping Tony in the suit, sending him crashing into Steve.

“JARVIS, where’s my flight power?” Tony yelled, grabbing the soldier. “Hang on, Cap.” 

Steve did as instructed, one arm flung around Tony’s shoulders to grab onto his neck, the other gripping his waist. He knew to leave the suit’s hands free to help with the flight.

“Working on it sir. This is a prototype,” JARVIS reminded him.

Tony attempted to scramble up the floor, even as it steadily became more vertical, Steve still attached his side, but their feet slipped out from under them. Tony blasted the grand piano with his repulsers, sending it flying into one of the helicopters.

“That’s one,” he declared as it fell.

“Sir, the suit is not combat ready,” JARVIS insisted.

Tony sighed.

“Ready to run, Cap?”

“Let’s move,” Steve nodded. They jumped to their feet, still clinging to each other just in case JARVIS managed to initiate flight, and began to run as fast as Tony could, ducking to avoid the recommenced spray of bullets. “These guys really want you dead,” Steve gasped. He watched Tony yank something from the suit’s arm and shoot it towards the second helicopter.

“That’s two.”

“Ah, shit,” Steve swore.

They tried to leap out of the way of the incoming chopper, but they missed the landing, tumbling into the crater that yawned in the middle of the floor into the workshop, where Tony’s fingers were able to find purchase on a beam. Grasping Steve’s shoulders, Tony’s heart ached as he saw Dummy and You reaching pitifully for each other. But he couldn’t even save himself or Steve; how could he save his bots? He sent a silent apology, missing how his cars tumbled through the windows into the ocean. Two final missiles hit, and it was all over. Everything was going up in flames and falling towards the ocean below. They hit the water and the beam was torn from Tony’s grasp. He hoped Steve was able to get a mouthful of air, because then they were underwater. Debris was falling on them; luckily Steve’s head was protected by his shield, because Tony didn’t think he could deal with trying to help him right now. He was too busy freaking out at the thought of being trapped at the bottom of the freaking ocean by his own house. There was something on his chest and he _couldn’t move_.

“Sir, take a deep breath,” JARVIS ordered.

One of the gauntlets flew off, returning to grasp Tony’s hand and yank him and Steve free. Tony gasped, spitting out sea water, as the gauntlet returned to his hand. He fired the repulsors, using them to push off the sea bed. Then JARVIS said those three magic words.

“Flight power restored.”

With Steve still hanging on tightly to the suit - which hopefully meant he was okay - Tony flew upwards, out of the ocean and into the sky. The last thing he remembered was the final helicopter disappearing into the distance before he passed out. 

X

“Sir? Sir!”

“Wha’s going on?” Tony slurred.

“That’s the emergency alarm,” JARVIS replied. “Triggered by the power going below five percent.”

Suddenly Tony was wide awake and staring at snowy pine trees and a rapidly approaching road. A rapidly approaching road with rapidly approaching _headlights_ on it. He gasped, vaguely thankful of the weight that said Steve’s arms were still looped around him. That road and its headlights were getting far too close, far too quickly. There was nothing he could do. Except scream. 

They scuffed the roof of the car, then tumbled through the trees until finally, thankfully rolling to a stop. He felt Steve’s arms release his neck and heard the second body tumble to a stop a few feet away. By the lack of noise, Tony guessed that Steve was still unconscious - or worse, except he refused to thing that, because he did _not_ want to have that conversation with his children - and was mildly grateful, as it meant there was no one but JARVIS to hear his less than manly shrieking. With a groan, Tony flopped onto his back and lifted off the faceplate.

There were damp flecks on his face, and Tony registered the snow he’d seen but now acknowledged. 

“It’s snowing, right? Where are we, upstate?”

Poor Steve, hanging on that long. No wonder he’d crashed out. That was a lot, even for a super-soldier.

“We are five miles out of Rose Hill, Tennessee.”

Wait.

Wait.

What?

“Why?” Tony snapped. “JARVIS, not my idea. What are we doing here? This is thousands of miles away, I gotta get the twins…”

Shit. The twins.

“I prepared a flight plan,” JARVIS replied, almost managing to sound offended. “This was the location.”

“Who asked you?”

“Honestly, I think I may be malfunctioning sir,” JARVIS said. And this time he definitely sounded weary. Which was impressive, for an AI. The suit split open, allowing Tony to sit up. He gave a shuddering gasp.

“Oh, that’s brisk,” he muttered. He rubbed his hands together, before grabbing a chunk of ice and running it over his wrists to acclimatise. He glanced back at the suit. “Maybe I’ll just cosy back up for-“

“I actually think I need to sleep now sir.”

“JARVIS?” Tony called. There was no reply. A chill that had nothing to do with the air temperature settled over him. “JARVIS?” he repeated. “Don’t leave me buddy.”

But there was no reply. At least, not from his AI. From the super-soldier in the background, there was a low moan. Tony jumped. He’d almost forgotten Steve was there in his concern for JARVIS. He scrambled to his feet.

“Steve? You okay?” he asked, wading through the snow to Steve’s side.

“Is this snow?” Steve coughed.

“Yeah. We’re in Tennessee. You okay?”

Steve accepted the hand Tony offered to pull himself to his feet, before dusting the snow off of his pants and jacket.

“Considering I was blown up, I’m swell,” he retorted. He stared at Tony. “Are you happy now? You challenged the terrorist, and he blew up your house, nearly killing us, and your children, and your ex-“

“Okay,” Tony interrupted. “She is not my ex. We slept together one, okay, _twice_ , but it was one night. That’s it.”

“Whatever,” Steve snapped. “You nearly got her, and Sue and Johnny killed, not to mention the two of us, and why the fuck are we in Tennessee?”

“Because I asked JARVIS to make a flight plan, because I didn’t know that the next flight I was going to make was escaping a terrorist and dragging your sorry ass halfway across the country,” Tony hurled back.

“You wouldn’t have had to drag my sorry ass anywhere if you hadn’t decided to threaten a goddamn terrorist!”

“I’m sorry!” Tony roared, stunning Steve into silence. “I’m sorry, okay? I fucked up. Just add it to the long list you’ve probably got of reasons why Johnny and Sue should be with you instead of me.”

“What?” Steve frowned. “Tony, do you really think so little of me, that you honestly believe I would take them away from the only parent they’ve ever known out of _spite_?”

Tony pressed his lips together, avoiding Steve’s gaze.

“I would never take them away from you,” Steve continued. “That would be cruel and pointless. I want to be part of their lives, yeah, and I’m glad to be included - little less glad right now - but I will never take them away from you.”

They lapsed into silence, staring at each other through the snow.

Eventually, Tony broke the silence, turning towards his abandoned suit.

“Come on,” he said gruffly. “We better move. It’s freezing out here, and we’re not exactly equipped for snow. JARVIS said it was only five miles to town before he passed out. Looks like we’ll have to walk it.”

“Need a hand?” Steve offered as Tony grabbed two cables to drag his suit.

“I got it.” 

They trudged through the snow in silence, their breath coming in white clouds, accompanied by the clinking of the suit. The only light they had came from Tony’s arc reactor, which shone brightly through his too-thin t-shirt. Steve contemplated offering him his jacket, but was pretty certain his offer would be rebuked.

The first sign of civilisation they came across was a Texaco station. Tony dumped the suit and walked straight up to a wooden carving of an Indian which was decked out in a - frankly pretty pathetic - poncho, and relieved the statue of the garment. He yanked it over his head, before pausing and glancing at Steve.

“I’m good,” Steve said, belaying Tony’s fears.

Tony nodded and stepped into the phone booth.

“Didn’t know these still existed,” he muttered, digging in his pockets for change. “Thought they died with the birth of cell phones.”

“Lucky for us this one survived,” Steve replied. He held out his change. Tony hesitated, before accepting it. He fed the coins into the machine. 

“Stark Secure Server,” the voice in his ear announced. “Now transferring to all known receivers.”

“Susie, Johnny, it’s me,” he said. “I have a lot of apologies to make and not a lot of time, so first off, I am so sorry I put you in harm’s way. That was selfish and stupid and it won’t happen again. Also, it’s Christmastime and the last thing you guys needed was seeing me and Steve fight. Whatever problems we have, shouldn’t affect you. And I’m sorry in advance because I can’t come home yet. I need to find this guy. Go to Pepper, you gotta stay safe, that’s all I want… Steve’s here, he’s fine. Doing a lot better than I am anyway… I just stole a poncho from a wooden Indian. Be careful kiddos. I’ll see you soon. I…” Tony glanced out of the fogged up window to where Steve stood, at a respectful distance, although Tony knew with his enhanced hearing Steve could probably hear every word. “…We love you.” Steve’s head snapped round. “See you soon.”

Stepping out of the booth, Tony met Steve’s gaze head on, unblinking in the face of his confusion. Neither of them said anything though, so Tony picked up the cables again and began pulling the suit towards town with Steve on his heels.

“Aren’t you cold?” Tony asked after a while. “That jacket isn’t exactly designed for winter.”

“Cold weather doesn’t bother me that much,” Steve admitted. “Not since the serum. Besides,” he smirked. “I’ve survived colder.”

“You’re getting way too sassy for your own good Rogers.” 

“Must be all the time spent with you.”

They shared a smile.

“Everyone has this idea that I hate the cold since the ice,” Steve continued. “Truth is, I don’t mind it. Rather have the cold than heat. You ever seen me in the heat? It’s not pretty.”

“I don’t know Rogers. I’m sure there are some situations where you look good all hot and sweaty,” Tony teased Steve rolled his eyes. “That looks empty,” Tony said, nodding towards a house. “Garage should have some tools. Gimme some time, I should have the suit up and running again.”

“You go ahead,” Steve nodded. “I’ll check the perimeter.”

“Aye aye Captain,” Tony agreed, not missing Steve’s small smile.

Breaking open the side door to the garage, Tony let the Mark 42 fall to the ground, before yanking off the smelly poncho and dropping it in the snow. He stepped inside, welcoming the relative warmth of the apparently well-equipped garage. Hauling the Mark 42 inside properly, he sat it on the sofa, before collapsing next to it. 

“You happy now?” he asked flicking the helmet’s gaze away from him. With a groan he stood up, only to collapse again on a stool, turning a lamp to illuminate his arm and grabbing a pair of pliers.

“Freeze!”

Tony’s eyes flicked up and found a kid with a potato gun pointed at him. Great job clearing the perimeter Steve. Tony dropped the pliers. 

“Don’t move,” the kid ordered.

“You got me,” Tony sighed, holding up his hands. “Nice potato gun. Barrel’s a little long. Between that and the wide gauge, it’s going to diminish your FPS…”

The kid fired, sending a bottle can flying.

“And now you’re out of ammo.”

“What’s that thing in your chest?”

Tony tried to ignore the automatic flare of panic that burst whenever anyone drew attention to the arc reactor. _He’s just a kid, he’s not going to steal it_. Just one of his many triggers these days. _Thanks Obie_.

“It’s a… electromagnet,” Tony explained. “You should know, you’ve got a box of them right there.”

“What does it power?”

In reply, Tony flicked the lamp around, causing it’s beam to fall on the Mark 42. The kid gasped.

“Oh my God!” he breathed. “That’s… Is that… Iron Man?”

“Technically I’m Iron Man,” Tony argued.

“Technically, you’re dead,” the kid retorted, handing him a newspaper. The main headline screamed Tony’s alleged death, illustrated in glorious technicolour underneath. Tony swallowed. Even in a single picture, it looked bad. Possibly even worse than it had experiencing it.

“Valid point.”

The kid approached the suit, staring reverently at the red and gold paintwork.

“What happened to him?”

“Life,” Tony replied automatically, then tried to ignore the irony of his statement. Was he describing the suit or himself? And where the hell was Steve? “I built him. I take care of him. I’ll fix him.”

“Like a mechanic?” the kid asked, playing with the helmet.

“Yeah.”

“If I was building Iron Man and War Machine-“

“It’s Iron Patriot now,” Tony butted in.

“That’s way cooler!” the kid exclaimed.

“No it’s not,” Tony argued.

“Anyways,” the kid continued. “I would’ve added in, um, the retro…”

“Retroreflective panels?” Tony supplied.

“To make him a stealth mode,” he finished.

“You want a stealth mode?”

“Cool, right?”

“It’s actually a good idea,” Tony admitted. “Maybe I’ll build one.”

The door opened again and Steve stumbled in, more snow dusted than the last time Tony saw him.

“Clear,” he announced wearily.

“Uh, not quite,” Tony said, pointing to the kid. “Nice job Hawkeye.”

Steve looked at the kid playing with one of the suit’s gauntlets and barely even blinked.

“Yeah, well, it’s been a long day,” he defended, collapsing onto the stool Tony had recently vacated and dropping his shield onto the workbench, The kid’s eyes became saucers.

“No way!” he exclaimed. “You’re Captain America!”

“Oh, so he’s Captain America without the suit, but I’m not Iron Man?” Tony objected. “So unfair. So who’s home?”

“Well, my mom already left for the diner, and dad went to 7-Eleven to get scratchers… I guess he won, ‘cause that was six years ago.”

“Which happens,” Tony replied. “Dads leave. No need to be a pussy about it.”

“Tony!” Steve snapped.

“Here’s what I need,” Tony finished. “A laptop, a digital watch, a cell phone, the pneumatic actuator from your bazooka over there, a map of town, a big spring, and a tuna fish sandwich.”

“What’s in it for me?”

Oh, Tony liked this kid. It was like turning the clock back and seeing himself.

“Salvation,” he declared. Which earned a look of _what the fuck?_ from Steve. “What’s his name?”

“Who?”

“The kid that bullies you at school. What’s his name?”

“How d’you know that?” the kid asked.

Tony ignored the question.

“I got just the thing.” He popped a flare canister from the Mark 42’s arm. “This is a piñata for a cricket. I’m kidding, it’s a very powerful weapon. Point it away from your face, press the button on top. It discourages bullying. Non-lethal,” he added, before Steve went into apoplexy, “Just to cover one’s ass. Deal.” He held the canister out of the kid’s reach. “Deal? What d’you say?”

“Deal,” the kid agreed.

“What’s your name?” Tony asked, handing over the canister. 

“Harley. And you’re…”

“The mechanic. Tony. That’s Steve.” He paused. “You know what keeps going through my head? Where’s my sandwich?”

Steve rolled his eyes.

X

Sue stared at the rubble that, until tonight, was the first place she called home. She could still remember the first time pops took her home, back when he was Tony and she had no name. But he was already a hero to her, sweeping in and carrying them out of that lab, long before Iron Man ever existed. And now, he was gone. To make it worse, Steve, her dad, was gone too. Her vision blurred.

“Susie?” Pepper’s voice called gently, accompanied seconds later by a hand on her shoulder. “We should go. Leave them to their work.”

 _Leave them to search for bodies._ That was what Pepper meant. Sue wasn’t stupid, she knew it wasn’t a rescue operation but a recovery one.

Ignoring Pepper, Sue stepped forward, spotting one of pop’s helmets lying on the ground. She picked it up and pressed it against her forehead, wishing she had him here to wrap her up in a tight hug. Glancing over her shoulder, Sue found Johnny sitting in the back of Pepper’s car, staring blankly ahead just like he used to when they were in the lab. It was pops who helped him to live again. Suddenly she realised the helmet was beeping. Frowning, she turned it around, spotting a red light blinking. Without hesitation, she pulled it on. The inside of the helmet still smelled faintly of his cologne, under the tinge of smoke. Then the helmet came to life.

“Stark Secure Server. Retinal scan: verified,” a voice declared.

Then Sue gasped as a familiar voice said, “Susie, Johnny, it’s me.”

“Pops,” she whispered.

_“I have a lot of apologies to make and not a lot of time, so first off, I am so sorry I put you in harm’s way. That was selfish and stupid and it won’t happen again. Also, it’s Christmastime and the last thing you guys needed was seeing me and Steve fight. Whatever problems we have, shouldn’t affect you. And I’m sorry in advance because I can’t come home yet. I need to find this guy. Go to Pepper, you gotta stay safe, that’s all I want… Steve’s here, he’s fine. Doing a lot better than I am anyway… I just stole a poncho from a wooden Indian. Be careful kiddos. I’ll see you soon. I… We love you. See you soon.”_

By the time the message finished, Sue had tears running down her face. She yanked off the helmet to sprint across the Johnny, and jammed it onto his head. She watched; a few minutes later, Johnny tossed the helmet aside, meeting her eyes.

“They’re alive.”

X

“How did you know?”

“Know what?” Tony asked, without looking up from his suit. Harley had gone to find Tony’s list of items and some food. To fill the time, Tony had started tinkering with the Mark 42, while Steve seemed content to stare at him and, apparently, ask cryptic questions.

“About the bully?” 

Tony paused.

“There’s always a bully.”

“Who was yours?”

Tony closed his eyes, smiling in disbelief.

“That’s a conversation that takes more time than we’ve got right now, Cap. Right now, I need to focus on finding out what the hell is going on.”

“Why did you have JARVIS create a flight plan for Tennessee?” Steve asked, obviously not done with the questions. Tony preferred his sass frankly. “Are you a closet country music fan?”

And there it was.

“No,” Tony replied. “I had JARVIS do a search. For other explosions like the one at the Chinese Theatre. There were several. But there was only one that had no apparent connection to the Mandarin. I wanted to check it out.”

“Why?”

“No such thing as coincidence. Universe is rarely that lazy.”

“You saying you don’t believe in any coincidences?”

“This one didn’t feel right,” Tony shrugged. “Something in my gut.”

“You know, back in my day, they used to recommend prune juice for that.”

Tony gaped at Steve, as the soldier leaned against a workbench and smirked, with a mixture of disbelief and pride.

“You’re an asshole,” he realised. Everything the world had been led to believe about Captain America was wrong. Or perhaps this was Steve Rogers. Suddenly Tony was struck by how young Steve actually was, when you subtracted the years spent in the ice. He had to be, what? Twenty seven at most?

“You’re only just realising this now?” Steve smirked.

“You and I got more in common than I realised Rogers,” Tony declared. “Now where’s that kid with my damn sandwich?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me rambling on tumblr here: [weethreequarter](https://weethreequarter.tumblr.com)  
> Buy me a ko-fi here: <https://ko-fi.com/weethreequarter>


	4. Let It Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tony isn't on medication but probably should be, Steve wants to electrocute him, and things heat up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: contains canonical panic attack. If you want details before reading, feel free to send me a message on tumblr. See end notes for the link.

****“Why were you at the house tonight?” Pepper asked as she drove. Sue glanced at the woman in the passenger seat - Doctor Maya Hansen, she’d introduced herself as - curiously. She’d wondered that herself. Steve had called them downstairs, but they’d never discovered what was happening because Steve and pops were fighting and then the missiles hit. “What was so important that you had to speak to Tony?”

Maya took a deep breath, then announced, “I think my boss is working for the Mandarin. So if you still want to talk about it, I suggest we get ourselves someplace safe.”

“Your boss works for the Mandarin, you think?” Pepper echoed.

“I thought you were a botanist?” Johnny frowned. The message had, perhaps temporarily, snapped him out of his fugue. 

“What I actually am is a biological DNA coder, running a team of forty out of a privately funded think-tank, but sure, you can call me a botanist,” Maya retorted. 

“This boss of yours,” Pepper said. “Does he have a name?”

“Yeah. Aldrich Killian.”

Pepper’s head snapped round. She gaped at Maya.

“Pepper,” Sue said. “Pepper: road.”

Pepper returned her focus to the road, but Sue could tell the older woman was shaken.

“Do you know him? This Killian guy?” Johnny asked.

“Yeah,” Pepper replied. “I used to work for him.”

X

“The sandwich was fair, the spring was a little rusty, the rest of the materials I’ll make do,” Tony declared as he, Harley and Steve walked down the street, trying to look inconspicuous. They’d left the suit in Harley’s garage, but Steve had disguised his shield with a piece of old tarp making it like like a, admittedly oddly shaped, backpack. It wasn’t perfect, but beggars could not be choosers. And the last thing he wanted to do was wander around with his shield announcing to the world that he was Captain America. “By the way, when you said your little sister had a watch, I was hoping for something a little more adult,” Tony added, pulling back the sleeve of his borrowed shirt to reveal the pink _Dora the Explorer_ watch. Steve bit back a smirk, revelling in the warmth of his own borrowed sweater. Harley had raided his dad’s abandoned closet for clothes for both of them.

“She’s six!” Harley laughed. “It’s limited edition. Anyway, when can we talk about New York?”

This caught Steve’s attention. Because in the six months since the Battle, he’d never once heard Tony refer to it unless someone else brought it up first.

“Maybe never. Relax about it,” Tony replied. To Steve, who knew Tony well enough and spent a lot of time trying to improve his ability to read the man, there was a definite tone to his voice that implied all was not as well as Tony would like them all to believe in regards to New York. 

“What about the Avengers? Can we talk about them?” Harley pressed.

“Later. Hey,” Tony pushed Steve and Harley away. “Give me a little space.”

And there it was: the confirmation that Steve needed that something wasn’t right with Tony.

But then his attention was drawn by the shrine at the end of the alley; the lights and flowers and crucifixes that adorned the sight of the bombing, surrounding the snow covered crater in the ground. Steve quickly crossed himself, closing his eyes if only for a second in respect. 

“What’s the official story here?” Tony asked. “What happened?”

Harley shrugged, sitting on the edge of the crater, “I guess this guy named Chad Davis, used to live round about, won a bunch of medals in the army, and one day folks said he went crazy and made, you know, a bomb. Then he blew himself up, right here.”

Steve watched as Tony skirted the scene, running his fingers against one of the human-shaped shadows on the wall, his eyes taking in every detail. It was like watching him work in there lab; Steve would never tire of it, seeing Tony’s genius at work. Steve knew he was a smart man himself, only increased by the serum, but he felt like a first grader around Tony. It was beautiful. Hell, it was one of the things that had attracted him to Tony in the first place.

“Six people died, right?” Tony asked.

“Yeah,” Harley nodded. Steve sat down next to the kid, pulling the wool cap further down over his ears.

“Including Chad Davis?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Tony circled the crater, finally joining Steve and Harley on the ground.

“Yeah, that doesn’t make sense,” he nodded. “Think about it: six dead, only five shadows."

“I noticed that,” Steve added.

“Yeah, well, people said these shadows are like the mark of souls going to heaven,” Harley muttered. “Except the bomb guy. He went to hell on account of he didn’t get a shadow. That’s why there’s only five.”

“You buy that?” Tony asked.

“That’s what everyone says,” Harley shrugged.

“I don’t buy that,” Steve asked. “Even as a Catholic.”

“Wait, you’re Catholic?” Tony frowned

“Yeah, I’m half Irish.”

“Wait, you’re _Irish_?”

“Half. On my mom’s side.”

“Huh.” 

Tony turned his attention back to the scene before them. A sly grin spread across Harley’s features.

“You know what this crater reminds me of?” The kid said, sounding far too innocent for any good.

“I have no idea, I don’t care,” Tony retorted, and he had to be able to feel the waves of disapproval Steve was sending his way. 

Harley grinned.

“That giant wormhole in, um, in New York. Does it remind you?”

“That’s manipulative. I don’t wanna talk about it,” Tony replied. 

“Are they coming back? The aliens?”

“Maybe,” Tony snapped. “Can you stop? Remember what I told you, that I had an anxiety issue?”

“You never told me that,” Steve interjected.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t want it added to the list,” Tony muttered.

“I told you, there isn’t a list.”

“Does the subject make you edgy?” Harley asked.

“Yeah, little bit,” Tony gasped. “Can I just catch my breath for a second”

“Are there bad guys in Rose Hill?” Harley pressed. “Do you need a plastic bag to breathe into? Do you have medication?”

“No,” Tony replied. Steve frowned, fighting the urge to reach out and physically help the man. He’d seen this before, so recently yet so long ago, among men at the front and in army hospitals around Europe.

“Do you need to be on it?”

“Probably.”

Tony threw a glance at Steve, as if waiting for some sort of judgement. Steve had none to give. 

“Do you have PTSD?” Harley continued.

“I don’t think so.”

Tony’s breathing was becoming quicker and increasingly shallow. His eyes widened, glancing around for an escape. Steve’s heart broke a little. He knew what Tony was feeling, knew the desperate fear to get out, to get to safety, despite the fact there was no danger. Well, not currently in the immediate vicinity. Overly dramatic terrorists aside and all. 

“Are you going completely mental? I can stop. Do you want me to stop?”

“Remember when I said to stop doing that?” Tony snapped. “I swear you’re going to freak me out.”

“Tony,” Steve tried. He saw the hurt flash across Harley’s face, just as he’d seen the way the kid had been looking up to Tony all night. Even in the short time they’d known the kid, it was clear Harley viewed Tony as some sort of replacement for his long-lost father. Or perhaps Tony was simply the man Harley wished his father had been; someone who stuck around, and helped him with experiments in the garage.

Suddenly Tony scrambled to his feet, stumbling backwards.

“Ah, man, you did it, didn’t you? You happy now?”

“What did I say?” Harley yelled after his retreating figure, as Tony raced towards the main street, hands scrabbling against the wall as he went. Harley and Steve jumped to their feet and hurried after him. “Hey, wait up!”

“Tony, wait!” Steve cried. “Crap.”

At the end of the alley, Tony slid down the wall, panting like he’d just run a race. Which, with all the adrenaline that was pumping through his body, he just had. Tossing his cap to the ground, Tony ran his hands through his hair. Ignoring the snow on the ground, Steve knelt in front of him.

“Tony?” he murmured.

“What the hell was that?” Harley asked.

Steve pulled Tony’s hands away from his face, and for a moment they held each other’s gaze unwaveringly. And Steve saw it all: all of Tony’s vulnerabilities and insecurities laid bare. His deepest, darkest secrets, and Steve knew with utter certainty that if he wanted, he had the power to pull Tony Stark to irrevocable pieces.

Instead, he simply squeezed Tony’s hands before releasing them.

The surprise was evident in the other man’s face, before he scooped up a handful of snow, tossing the sloppy snowball at Harley.

“Your fault,” he muttered. “You spazzed me out. Okay, back to business. Where were we? The guy who died. Relatives? Mom? Mrs Davis, where is she?”

“Where she always is,” Harley shrugged.

“See? Now you’re being helpful,” Tony said.

"You know Stark, one of these days we’ve really got to work on your house training,” Steve sighed, sitting back on his heels.

“Shut up Rogers.”

“You have the people skills of, well, you.”

“Ha ha.”

“You know,” Steve continued, getting to his feet then offering Tony his hand. It was gingerly accepted. “I hear they’re making great progress with electric dog collars. Maybe I’ll get you one of those for you. Call it a Christmas present. See if we can train some manners into you.”

Tony smirked.

“Is this some kind of kink?” he asked. “Dog collars… You saying you want to electrocute me?”

Steve smiled sweetly.

“Only when you talk.”

X

“Pretty face never fails to turn your head, does it Stark?” Steve asked as they stepped into the bar.

“There was something… I don’t know,” Tony shook his head. They stood side by side in the doorway, surveying the room and drawing a number of stares. “Think they know we’re not local?” Tony quipped.

“Think a town like this everybody knows everybody,” Steve replied. “How do you wanna do this?”

“Okay first, I’m going to get a drink. And so are you,” Tony added, cutting off Steve’s protest. “Because otherwise we are gonna stick out like Thor in Costco. Then I’m gonna go talk to Mrs Davis, and you’re going to wait at the bar and try not to attract too much attention. Or, should I say, any more attention.”

Because it was definitely Steve who was drawing the most stares out of the two of them. Even in a mixture of his own clothes and those borrowed from Harley’s absentee-father, Steve looked much more buttoned down and just plain neat compared to most of the townies. Tony’s only relief was that they’d been out for a while now, and Steve had gained a five o’clock shadow. If he’d been as clean shaven as he usually was, they might as well have painted targets on their backs and announced their arrival to the world.

Reluctantly, Steve nodded, following Tony through the crowd to the bar. Once Tony had his own drink, he meandered across the room to the woman fitting Harley’s description of Mrs Davis. She was, Steve noticed from his perch at the bar, playing with a pair of dog tags. Her son’s, no doubt. Steve still had his own in the drawer beside his bed back home in Washington DC.

As he watched Tony and Mrs Davis talk, Steve let his mind wander back to the alley and Tony’s panic attack. Tony could deny it all day long, but Steve knew shell shock when he saw it. He cast his mind back further, to the other night when the suit almost attacked Sue. He remembered Tony’s lack of cohesive speech pattern, the constant blinking and the way he kept shaking his head. Like trying to shift something from his brain. Steve realised now that perhaps he’d been trying to do just that. Perhaps he’d been caught in a nightmare or a flashback, that was was why he’d unconsciously called the suit to him.

Steve frowned when he saw Mrs Davis slide a file across the table towards Tony, raising his head in an attempt to see clearer. She just happened to have a file on her about her son’s death? That didn’t make sense. His eyes widened. _She was waiting for someone else_. Someone else who wanted to that file and details on Chad David’ death. Steve scanned the bar, looking for someone else who didn’t belong, or stuck out. Someone…

_“There was something… I don’t know.”_

His drink slopped onto the bar as his shoulder was jostled but Steve didn’t notice. The woman from outside the bar. Then he looked up and realised she was there, at Tony’s side, slapping a badge onto the table. Suddenly she grabbed Tony’s arm, slamming him against the table and drawing the attention of the room. Steve jumped to his feet, but Tony caught his eye, shaking his head imperceptibly. Slowly, Steve sat back down, ready to move as a moment’s notice. 

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s going on here?” a man shouted.

“It’s called an arrest,” the woman retorted, throwing Tony onto the follow. “Sheriff, is it?”

“Yes it is. And you are?”

“Homeland Security,” she replied, holding up her badge. Steve frowned. _What?_ “We good here?”

“No, we’re not _good_ ,” the Sheriff replied, much to Steve’s relief. “I need a little more information than that.”

Steve sought out Tony’s gaze again. Tony’s eyes bored into him, then flicked to the door, then back at Steve. Steve nodded. If things kicked off, Tony wanted him to get out and get to Harley. Even if it all went south, maybe he could get away and solve this thing. Although it pained Steve, he would do it. The twins’ safety relied on them figuring this thing out. 

“I think it’s a little above your pay grade, Sheriff.”

Steve watched as Tony found Mrs Davis’ eyeline next; she stood, dropping the file and sending it sliding under the counter. Steve followed its trajectory, ready to grab it and get out. 

“Yeah, well, why don’t you get on your phone to Nashville and upgrade me?”

“You know, I was hoping to do this the smart way,” the woman said, stepping forward. “But the fun way’s always good.”

Tony’s eyes went wide. He was staring at the woman’s back but, thanks to his position, try as he might, Steve couldn’t see what had caused him such distress. He didn’t have to wait long to find out. The Sheriff had no sooner started to order his Deputy to intervene, when the woman’s eyes burned like fire and she plunged something bright and hot against his face. Then somehow she had the Sheriff’s gun and was shooting like she was swatting flies. Tony raced for the door, grabbing her attention, while Steve vaulted the bar. He heard Tony taunting, “Hey hot wings? You wanna party? Let’s go,” as he ran outside. Meanwhile, Steve grabbed the file Mrs Davis had dropped, stuffing it inside his jacket, then ripped his shield from his back. It still had its make-shift tarp cover - which was probably a good thing, since it seemed whoever they were fighting had yet to figure out he was Captain America - but it was far from useless. Quickly checking that the woman had followed Tony outside, He jumped back to the right side of the bar and sprinted for the door.

As he emerged from the bar, he heard the shattering of glass, then saw the woman firing a shotgun into a shop with a broken window. No doubt that was where Tony was, but despite every instinct that told him to help, Steve turned away in search of Harley.

“Harley!” he yelled. “Harley, where are you?”

“Steve!”

He spun around, just in time to see Harley being dragged around the corner. Instantly Steve took off after the kid and his attacker. Suddenly there was an explosion from the building on his left. Instinctively Steve covered himself with his shield, praying silently that Tony was not caught inside as an orange fireball shot up into the night sky. He carried on towards the water tower, ending up in a lot filled with Christmas trees until he became aware of the sound of metal splintering with heat. Steve spotted a man, glowing just like the woman in the bar, his hands against the leg of the water tower, heating the metal until the tower groaned ominously, tipping slowly as first, then faster, towards the lot where he stood. Steve turned and ran, crashing into Tony. Without a second’s hesitation, they latched on to each other’s arm, trying to get out of the way of the falling tower only to be sent sprawling by the wave of water.

“Tony, you okay?” Steve spluttered.

“Been better,” came the terse reply, and Steve realised that Tony was half caught under the metal of the destroyed tower.

“Crap. Let me help,” Steve scrambled to his feet and began to haul the twisted debris off of his friend.

“Let me go!”

They froze. Then turned as one to see the man with Harley flung over his shoulder.

“ _Help me, help me!_ ” the man simpered in a poor imitation of the kid. He crouched, swinging Harley around and grasping him against his chest. Horror coiled in the stomachs of both men as his neck and hand began to glow with fire again. They both resumed their effort to free Tony with added urgency. “Anyway, what do you want for Christmas kid?”

“You should get him out,” Tony muttered.

“Not without you,” Steve shot back. Tony stopped, staring at him.

“Mr Stark, I’m so sorry!” Harley cried.

“No, I think he was trying to say _I want my goddamn file_ ,” the man corrected.

“It’s not your fault kid,” Tony said, tearing his eyes from Steve. “Remember what I told you about bullies?”

Harley let out a tiny gasp and Steve stilled.

“Brilliant,” he whispered.

Then there was a flash and Harley was free.

“Go!” Tony hissed. Then he called, “You like that Westworld? Here’s the thing about smart guys: we always cover out ass.”

Steve sprinted across the lot, grabbing Harley and covering them both with his shield as Tony shot the assailant with his rudimentary repulser, sending the man sailing backwards.

“Come on,” Steve urged the boy, chivvying him towards the main street. He could hear Tony freeing himself behind him, and knew he would be right behind them.

“But-” Harley started.

“Now,” Steve insisted.

X

“You’re welcome.”

“For what? Did I miss something?” Tony asked as he rejoined Steve and the kid. “You got it?” he asked Steve. The super-soldier nodded, pulling the file from the safety of his waterproof jacket and handing it over. Tony gave him a small smile. “You okay Steve?”

“I’ve had better nights,” Steve smiled wryly.

“Me saving you life,” Harley continued.

“A: saved you first,” Tony said, walking down the street. “B: thanks. Sort of. And C: if you do something solid, don’t be a yutz. All right? Just play it cool. Otherwise you come off as grandiose.”

Steve snorted loudly, earring a glare from Tony.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t keep that in,” Steve grinned, holding up his hands. 

“Unlike you?” Harley taunted. Tony stared, then pointed at Steve.

“Your fault. The sass is rubbing off on him.”

“Or maybe he’s just smart enough to see what’s right in front of him,” Steve retorted. 

“Admit it, you need me,” Harley declared as Tony unlocked a black Audi. Steve frowned. “We’re connected.”

“Where’d you get car keys?”

“Borrowed them. What I need is for you to go home, be with your mom, keep your trap shut, guard the suit, and stay connected to the telephone because if I call you better pick up, okay?”

“Please,” Steve interjected.

“Yeah whatever,” Tony saved him off.

“Can you feel that? We’re done here. Get in the car Spangles. Move out of the way or I’m gonna run you over.

Steve rolled his eyes. Patting Harley on the shoulder, he gave the frustrated kid a smile, before doing as Tony said, rounding the car to climb into the passenger seat, tossing the shield into the back.

“Bye kid,” Tony called, closing the door behind him.

“Tony,” Steve said. “We couldn’t have done all that without him.”

Tony sighed. He rolled down the window. 

“I’m sorry kid. You did good.”

“So now you’re just going to leave me here? Like my dad?”

“Yeah,” Tony nodded. His eyes narrowed. “Wait, you’re guilt tripping me, aren’t you?

Harley pulled his jacket tighter around him, his bottom lip wavering the way Johnny’s used to when he wasn’t getting his own way.

“I’m cold.”

Oh, this kid was good. Tony gave him ten out of ten. It really was like turning the clock back and witnessing his younger self. Whoever the kid’s father was, he was an idiot for walking out on this. 

“I can tell,” Tony replied. “You know how I can tell? Because we’re connected.”

And with that he drove off to the sound of Steve’s laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me rambling on tumblr here: [weethreequarter](https://weethreequarter.tumblr.com)  
> Buy me a ko-fi here: <https://ko-fi.com/weethreequarter>


	5. To Trust or Not to Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tony and Steve have a heart to heart, Johnny gets suspicious, and Tony makes questionable headwear choices.

****“Anything interesting in there?” Tony asked, glancing at Steve, who sat in the passenger seat flicking through Mrs Davis’ file.

“This doesn’t make sense,” Steve frowned.

“Aw, too many big word for you soldier?” Tony teased.

“Shut up. And no, it’s this acronym: M.I.A,” Steve replied, holding up the sheet of paper.

“So?” Tony shrugged. “It means missing in action.”

“Yeah, thanks, I know,” Steve snapped. “But Chad Davis was never reported MIA.”

Tony frowned. That made no sense. Why mark Davis’ file MIA if he was never reported MIA? And how, exactly, had he blown up if not for a bomb? Tony was certain there had been no bomb, even going as far as to assure Mrs Davis of the fact, but that didn’t mean he was any closer to figuring out how it really happened. There was something familiar about it, niggling away at the back of his brain, like a word on the tip of his tongue.

_M.I.A… M.I.A…_

And to top it all off, there was the guilt he felt over how Sue and Johnny could’ve been hurt, and how Happy was hurt and lying in a hospital bed. 

“Happy, Happy, Happy…” he sighed.

_M.I.A…_

_M.I.A…_

_M.I-_

Wait.

“Gimme that,” he ordered. Steve handed over the sheet of paper. Tony flipped it over; sure enough the acronym was visible on both sides of the page. Only now it read…

“A.I.M?” Steve frowned. “What’s A.I.M?”

“Advanced Idea Mechanics,” Tony replied. “That bastard…”

“What bastard?”

“Aldrich Killian,” he explained. “We met… twelve years ago. At a conference in Bern. He wanted to talk to me about this ‘Advanced Idea Mechanics’. I blew him off. Only two days ago he shows up at SI for a meeting with Pepper. Happy told me about it. Warned me the guy might be trying to get her to go work for him - again. Said he… showed her his brain, whatever that means. Now it looks like he’s working with the Mandarin.”

“This conference in Bern,” Steve said slowly, “Wouldn’t happen to be the same one where you met Maya Hansen?”

“Son of a bitch…” Tony gaped. “Grab my cell phone, call Rhodey, put it on speakerphone,” he ordered. Steve did so, holding out the phone so Tony could speak into it. “Come on Rhodey, pick up,” Tony muttered.

“Hello?”

“You ever had a chick straddling you, and you look up and suddenly she’s glowing from the inside out? Kind of bright orange?”

“Yeah, I’ve had that. Who is this?”

Tony rolled his eyes.

“It’s me pal. Now, last time I went missing, if I remember correctly, you came looking for me. What are you doing?”

“A little knock-and-talk, making friends in Pakistan. What are you doing?”

“Oh, just hanging out with the Cap. Your redesign, your big rebrand, that was A.I.M, right?”

“Yeah.”

Fucking Killian. Bastard had slithered his way in everywhere. That suit was Tony’s; if anyone was rebranding it, it should be him. He tossed the page onto the floor at Steve’s feet. 

“I’m going to find a heavy-duty comm sat right now. I need your login,” he said.

“It’s the same as it’s always been: WarMachine68,” Rhodey replied.

“And password please.”

“Well, look, I gotta change it every time you hack in, Tony.”

“It’s not the eighties, nobody says hack anymore,” Tony sighed.

“They don’t?” Steve frowned.

“Give me your login,” Tony insisted. 

Rhodey sighed.

“WARMACHINEROX with an X. All caps.”

Tony burst out laughing

“Yeah, okay,” Rhodey sighed.

“That is so much better than Iron Patriot,” Tony declared. “Thanks buddy. Okay, you can hang up now,” he told Steve.

“Where are we going to find a comm sat?” Steve asked.

“I’m… working on it,” Tony replied. Silence fell, until he became aware of Steve studying him. “What? I know I’m pretty, but you really don’t need to stare.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Steve asked

“Bout what?” Tony asks innocently, trying to quell the twinge of fear in his gut.

“Your shell shock, or whatever it’s called these days,” Steve replied. “PST… Whatever.”

“I do not have PTSD,” Tony replied. “I have a… minor anxiety issue.”

“Didn’t look minor from where I was sitting.”

“Maybe I didn’t want it on the list,” Tony retorted.

“How many times? There’s not a list!” Steve exclaimed. “Shell shock is nothing to be ashamed of Tony. I’ve seen tougher men than you fall to it in battle.”

“Oh yeah, and what did you do to them? Shipped them off to the looney bin?” Tony lashed out.

“No. I got them help,” Steve declared.

Tony snorted.

“Yeah, right. We both know how the army treated those guys back then.”

“Yeah: the army. Despite what people seem to think,” Steve said, “It and I aren’t interchangeable. What do you think the army would’ve done if they found out I was attracted to men and women?”

“Nineteen forties? Had you locked up or just plain shot,” Tony replied. “Of course, since you’re Captain America, I’m guessing they probably would’ve gone for a combination of conversion therapy and chemical castration…” he trailed off, realising what he’d just said. He glanced at Steve.

“Just because I was in the army, doesn’t mean I agree with everything they do or say,” Steve explained, before turning his attention to the scenery speeding past outside his window.

Tony didn’t know what to say to that. He forgot sometimes how lucky he was, to live in an era where his sexuality was much more widely accepted. He’d never had to hide; he came out as bisexual in college and never looked back. Steve had not enjoyed the same luxury. 

“I don’t think you’d take Sue and Johnny away out of spite,” Tony announced suddenly. Steve looked up in surprise. “Earlier, you said… I don’t think you’d take them away out of spite.”

“Then why are you so scared I’m going to take them away from you?”

Tony gave an angry bark of laughter.

“Look at you,” he said. “You’re Mr Perfect. You’re the standard my dad held me up to and always found me lacking. I don’t want them to see the same thing.”

“They don’t,” Steve assured him. “They see you as a hero. No one could ever take your place in their lives.” Tony looked unconvinced. Steve continued, “You know, I’m afraid of the opposite.”

Tony frowned.

“I’m afraid they’re going to look at me, and look at you, and be disappointed in me,” Steve admitted. “That I’m not going to live up to the legend. That and I don’t have the first clue how to be a father. Maybe I’m not meant to be.”

“Thought that was what you wanted,” Tony replied. “Wife, kids, white picket fence. The American dream.”

“I did,” Steve nodded, staring out of the window. “I’m starting to think that guy went into the ice and someone else came out.”

Tony’s eyes flickered from the road to the super-soldier in the passenger seat. He didn’t know what to say about that. He knew about life changing experiences; he’d had three: finding the twins, his kidnapping in Afghanistan, and that time with the Armenian models in Vegas. Not mentioning New York of course. But he doubted they amounted to missing seventy years of your life.

“It’s easy,” he said eventually. On Steve’s questioning look, he added, “Being a dad. Just make it up as you go along. That’s what I do. Hell, that’s how I live.”

“Yeah? How’s that working out for you, Tony?” Steve smirked.

Tony chuckled and shook his head. He could really get used to Captain America sassing him. Suddenly he slammed on the breaks and threw the car into reverse.

“What the-?” Steve exclaimed.

“Look,” Tony instructed, pointing out of the window. Steve frowned, following the line of sight and sighed when he spotted the sign for the _Miss Chattanooga Christmas Pageant_.

“Really, Tony? Now?”

“Okay, first, there’s never a bad time for model in bikinis,” Tony declared. “And second, where there are models in bikinis, there are TV crews. Where there are TV crews, there are-“

“Satellites,” Steve finished.

Tony grinned.

“Bingo, Capsicle.”

X

Steve was struggling to keep his laughter in, burying his face further into the collar of his jacket as he followed Tony through the crowds of news crews until they slipped into an empty van .

“What’s up with you?” Tony frowned.

“I’m sorry, but you look like a cowboy,” Steve grinned. “I mean, why a stetson? You had a perfectly good baseball cap.”

“Maybe I felt like branching out,” Tony shrugged. “Besides, when in Rome.”

“We’re not in Rome.”

“No, we’re in Tennessee. And in Tennessee they wear stetsons,” Tony declared.

“I’ll take your word for it,” Steve chuckled.

“Shut up,” Tony retorted, tossing the stetson to one side. Steve watched him hook up a couple of wires before tapping away at a laptop. “That ain’t gonna cut it,” he muttered, just as the door behind them opened.

They froze.

“Scuse me sirs, I don’t know who-“

“Shh!” Tony said, spinning his chair. He grinned.

The owner of the van gasped.

“Mom, I need to call you back, something magical is happening,” he said before hanging up. “Tony Stark is in my van. Tony Stark is in my van! I knew you were still alive!”

Steve watched in amusement as their host - Gary - fanboyed over meeting Tony, raising his eyebrows at Gary’s attempts to style his hair and beard like Tony’s, and raising his eyes skywards at the terrible tattoo likeness on Gary’s arm. But Steve had to say this for Tony: he took it all in his stride with nothing more than a “I get this a lot.” Celebrity had move on a long way since his days selling war bonds. Eventually however, Tony cut Gary’s rambling to a close.

“I need you to jump on the roof, recalibrate the ISDNs, pump it up by about forty percent,” he instructed.

“Got it,” Gary nodded.

“Alright, it’s a mission,” Tony explained. “Tony needs Gary.”

“And Gary needs-“ 

“To be quiet about it.”

Once Gary banged on the roof to let them know everything was connected, Steve watched Tony enter the login details Rhodey had given them, unlocking all the files on A.I.M. He leaned over Tony’s shoulder as he opened a video file of Chad Davis talking about not letting his injury beat him.

“Look. It’s your girlfriend,” Steve said, pointing to another video file, the thumbnail showing the woman from the bar. 

“Ha ha,” Tony retorted, before opening it. They watched as she introduced herself as Ellen Brandt. Noting her missing arm, before the angle cut to a man with long hair and a beard. “Killian,” Tony muttered. As the videos went on, Aldrich Killian appeared cleaner and smarter, as he talked about the _next iteration of human evolution_.

“Jesus Christ,” Steve exclaimed as the watched the video titled _Project Extremis Injections Tests Phase 01_. Before their eyes, Ellen Brandt’s skin began to glow then, like embers, her missing arm regrew out of nothing. Steve was reminded of his own transformation, the agony that came from Erskine’s serum, before one of the test subjects glowed brighter and brighter until he exploded.

“A bomb’s not a bomb when it’s a misfire,” Tony said softly.

“They’re not bombs, Tony, they’re people,” Steve corrected.

“No, they’re soldiers,” Tony said. Their eyes met.

_“Is this the first time you’ve lost a soldier?”_

_“We are_ not _soldiers.”_

Tony turned back to the screen. 

“Stuff doesn’t always work thought pal, it’s faulty, but you found buyer, didn’t you? Sold it to the Mandarin. I got you pal,” he muttered.

Studying Tony’s face, Steve could see the fury and pain in his friend’s face as he stared at the burning remnants of the lab on screen. He reached out, squeezing Tony’s shoulder with one hand, fully prepared to have it thrown off immediately. To his surprise, Tony reached up and covered Steve’s hand with his own.

X

“What happened…” Maya sighed. “Fun fact: before he built rockets for the Nazis, the idealistic Werner von Braun dreamed of space travel. He star-gazed. D’you know what he said when the first V2 hit London?”

“ _The rocket performed perfectly, it just landed on the wrong planet_ ,” Johnny quoted. Maya raised her eyebrows in surprise, but he made no effort to explain his genius or its roots. They were holed up in a hotel room - him, Sue, Maya and Pepper - so Maya could tell them everything about Aldrich Killian and Extremis and the connection to the Mandarin. Maya leaned back against the headboard of the bed, with Pepper at her feet. Sue had opted to curl up in the armchair by the window. She liked being near a point of exit; a leftover from their days in the lab as a child. Johnny meanwhile stood leaning against the wall. He didn’t like to sit. 

“See, we all began wide-eyed, pure science,” Maya smiled. “Then the ego steps in, obsession and… you look up, you’re a long way from shore.”

“You can’t be too hard on yourself Maya,” Pepper said. “I mean, you gave your research to a think tank.”

“Yeah, but Killian built that think tank on military contracts,” Maya argued.

“That’s exactly what we used to do,” Pepper replied, in the tone of voice that Johnny recognised from his black periods, when he shut the world out. “But don’t judge yourself.”

“Thank you Pepper,” Maya murmured. “I really appreciate that.”

Someone knocked on the door; as Pepper rose to answer it, something prickled on the back of Johnny’s neck, some instinct that said danger. He fixed his eyes on Maya, watching how the woman’s expression changed ever so minutely. Something was wrong, and the scientist knew it. Just because he was paranoid, didn’t mean they weren't out to get you. But before he could say anything, Pepper had opened the door, greeting the waiter with the room service cart. Suddenly a second man appeared behind him, twisting the waiter’s neck to the side with a sickening snap. Johnny and Sue scrambled for each other.

“Maya, Susie, Johnny, run!” Pepper gasped, as the newcomer grabbed her by the neck, slamming her back against the wall. Johnny and Sue grasped each other’s hand.

“Hi Pepper,” he greeted. Then he turned to Maya and asked, “So you wanna tell me why you were at Stark’s mansion last night?”

“I’m trying to fix this thing, I didn’t know you and the Master were going to blow the place up!” Maya exclaimed.

“Oh I see, so you were trying to save Stark when he threatened us.”

“I’ve told you Killian, we can use him,” Maya insisted.

“He’ll never help you,” Johnny spat.

“Who’re they?” Killian asked. 

“Stark’s kids,” Maya replied.

“Really? And do you take after daddy dearest in the brains department?” Killian smirked.

“We’re not working for you either,” Sue retorted. “We don’t like bullies.”

“Look, if we wanna launch product next year, I need Stark,” Maya continued. “He just lacked a decent incentive. Now he has one.”

Killian turned his gaze back to the twins; Johnny’s skin crawled, but he refused to be cowed, glaring back at him and meeting his gaze head on. Without looking away, Killian knocked Pepper unconscious, quickly stepping across to grab Johnny. However, years of fight training with his pops and Happy had left him far from defenceless. Johnny slapped him, then grabbed Killian’s arm, twisting it into a lock. Pushing him away, Johnny grabbed Sue’s hand and made a break for the door. But Killian was too fast; his hand grasping the back of Sue’s neck and yanking her back against him.

“He’s gonna kill you,” she gasped.

“That would be highly ambitious of him,” Killian whispered, before applying just enough pressure to knock her out.

Johnny seethed as his sister fell. He and Killian eyed each other.

“Don’t be stupid,” Killian warned. He stepped over Sue. Johnny trembled, but he refused to bow, holding his head high. 

“You have no idea what you’re doing,” he hissed.

Killian smirked, before bringing his hand down on Johnny’s head and everything went black.

X

“JARVIS, how are we?” Tony asked.

“It’s totally fine sir. I seem to do quite well for a stretch, then at the end of the sentence I say the wrong cranberry,” the AI’s familiar voice replied. Tony pulled a face. Steve smiled in amusement. To an outsider it probably seemed odd, such dependence and affection for a machine, but Steve had come to find Tony’s connection to JARVIS rather endearing. But then again, he was becoming ridiculously sappy when it came down to the man in the driver’s seat. “But sir, you were right. Once I factored in the available A.I.M. downlink facilities, I was able to pinpoint the Mandarin’s broadcast signal.”

“What are we talking? Far East Europe, North Africa…? Iran, Pakistan, Syria; where is it?”

“Actually sir, it’s in Miami.”

Steve and Tony exchanged frowns.

“Miami?” Steve mouthed.

“Okay, kid, I’m gonna have to walk you through rebooting JARVIS’ speech drive but not right now,” Tony declared. “Harley, where is he really? Look on the screen and tell me where it is.”

“Um, it _does_ say Miami, Florida,” Harley replied.

“Okay, first things first, I need the armour,” Tony said. “Where are we at with it?”

“Uh, it’s not charging.”

Tony slammed on the brakes. Steve stared worriedly at his wide-eyes.

“Actually sir, it is charging,” JARVIS corrected. Steve felt himself start to breath again. Tony without the suit was… vulnerable. And now was not the time for vulnerability. “But the power source is questionable. It may not succeed in revitalising the Mark 42.”

“What’s questionable about electricity?” Tony exclaimed. “Alright, it’s my suit, and I can’t, I’m not gonna… I don’t want…” His breathing was becoming laboured. “Oh God, not again…”

Tony scrambled out of the car. Steve was right behind him, sprinting around the vehicle until he was in front of him. Tony’s chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, and Steve wanted nothing more than to make this go away. But he knew that in this instance Captain America was useless. Give him an enemy he could fight, throw his shield at: great. But here the enemy was inside Tony’s mind. Harley’s voice continued to come through the speaker, asking if Tony was okay.

“Tony, breathe,” Steve instructed.

Tony slid down the side of the car, curling around himself. Unable to hold back, Steve pressed his hand to Tony’s face; Tony’s eyes snapped to his. 

“I’m here,” Steve murmured. “You are not alone. You’re safe.”

Then he sat down next to Tony, wrapping an arm around Tony’s shoulders and pulling him into his side. It was a mark of how far gone Tony was that he couldn’t resist, simply leaning into the embrace. His shoulders shuddered under Steve’s arm. Steve closed his eyes in an attempt to contain his frustration, then kissed the top of Tony’s head.

“You’re a mechanic, right?” Harley said.

“Right,” Tony replied, muffled by Steve’s shoulder.

“You said so.”

“Yes I did,” Tony agreed, lifting his face.

“Why don’t you just build something?”

Tony’s breathing began to slow until it returned to normal. He stood up, offering a hand to Steve without looking at him. 

“Okay,” he said. “Thanks kid.”

“You got an idea?” Steve asked, climbing back into the car.

Tony smiled.

“I got an idea,” he confirmed.

“What do we need?”

“A hardware store.”

“A hardware store?” Steve echoed.

“Yeah, you can make all kinds of things from what you can buy at your local Home Depot,” Tony smirked.

“Okay,” Steve nodded. “Think you can cope with me as an assistant? I mean, I know I’m not Bruce or JARVIS, but-“

“You’re more than enough,” Tony interrupted, throwing the car in gear.

Steve blinked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me rambling on tumblr here: [weethreequarter](https://weethreequarter.tumblr.com)  
> Buy me a ko-fi here: <https://ko-fi.com/weethreequarter>


	6. Into the Lion's Den

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Steve ponders Tony's genius, Johnny has a few tricks up his sleeve, and the Mandarin isn't quite what he seems.

****Tony Stark was a genius.

It was a well-known fact, one stated by people almost every day - often by Tony himself. But Steve wondered if it was so well established that people had begun to forget exactly how much of a genius he really was. After spending half the night watching Tony build a variety of weapons from gardening supplies in a motel room, Steve would never doubt the man again. He was amazing.

They’d left the motel as soon as he’d finished, Steve forcing Tony into the passenger seat because God knows when the last time the man actually slept (And the time passed out in the suit flying from California to Tennessee did _not_ count, Tony, unconscious is not the same thing as sleeping). After a few quips about not crashing them into anything, particularly any large, inviting blocks of ice, Tony had handed over the keys and crashed in the passenger seat. His sleep appeared thankfully void of any nightmares, leaving Steve alone with his thoughts, most of which focused on the man next to him. 

After some time appreciating Tony’s genius, he moved on to how messed up his friend really was, and the fact that over the past few days he’d started referring to Tony as his friend. What exactly had happened to him that he expected firstly Steve to try and take the twins away, and secondly for the twins to choose Steve over their own father? Because that was something Steve had come to terms with: he was Sue and Johnny’s biological father, but Tony was the rightful owner of that title. And if Steve had to share a child with anyone, well, he could think of worse people than Tony Stark to share them with. 

The sun rose as they approached the outskirts of Miami. The city had changed unrecognisably since Steve last visited, in 1943 on his USO tour. He reached out and shook Tony’s shoulder. His stomach jumped when Tony muttered something that sounded suspiciously like _Steve_ , before continuing to shake him awake. 

“Tony? Wake up, we’re nearly there,” he said. Yawning widely, Tony stretched, then gulped down half a bottle of water. “You should have one of those energy bar things,” Steve suggested. 

“They taste like crap,” Tony pointed out.

“Yeah, but you need to eat something.”

“Fine. But you have to suffer with me,” Tony grumbled, tossing a second energy bar into Steve’s lap. 

They abandoned the car a few blocks away, hiding out in the foliage to check out the mansion through the binoculars bought in the hardware store. Then Steve followed Tony’s lead, vaulting over the wall and into the grounds. Creeping up the steps, they took out the guards using Tony’s variety of ingenious devices, not least a homemade taser and mini grenades made from Christmas baubles.

Genius.

Inside was… not what Steve expected of a terrorist hideout. Plainly put, it was a dump. Between the empty food wrappers, to the spilled alcohol, to the drugs and prostitutes that littered the place, Steve wondered _Is this a terrorist hideout or a frat house?_ Tony liberated a guard of his gun - since he would no longer be needing it, due to him being unconscious - and Steve still had his own handgun. Together they moved silently down the halls, guns at the ready, until they reached a… TV studio? There were miniature models of the Mandarin and scenes from his broadcasts, and a number of frankly creepy pieces of art. The hairs on the back of Steve’s neck prickled. Something wasn’t right. He paused by the make-up tables, exactly like the ones he remembered from theatre dressing rooms around the country, down to the bulbs surrounding the mirrors. 

From round the corner, a toilet flushed. Steve glanced around, ignoring the two women in the bed, until he spotted Tony slotting himself behind the bed. He indicated for Steve to step back; Steve nodded and did so, raising his gun and slowly flicking off the safety catch. 

A door opened.

“Well, I wouldn’t go in there for twenty minutes.”

Steve frowned. The voice was British accented - posh, but less refined than Peggy’s was. He risked a peek around the flats, and sure enough, there was the Mandarin. Only he seemed a lot less intimidating in person. In fact, he wasn’t even remotely terrifying. Terrified perhaps, when he was faced with Tony and his gun, and even more so when Steve stepped forward seconds later.

“Bloody hell. Bloody hell,” the Mandarin exclaimed. 

“Don’t move,” Tony ordered.

“I’m not moving,” the Mandarin replied. “You want something? Take it. The guns are all fake because those wankers wouldn’t trust me with the real ones.”

“What?” Steve frowned.

“Hey, do you fancy either of the birds?” the Mandarin asked.

“I’ve heard enough,” Tony snapped. “You’re not him. The Mandarin. The real guy. _Where?_ Where’s the Mandarin? Where is he?”

“Whoa! Whoa! He’s here. But he’s not here. He’s here, but he’s not here.”

“What do you mean?” Steve asked, stepping forward. 

“It’s complicated. Hey! It’s complicated.”

“It is?”

“It’s complicated.”

“Uncomplicated it then,” Tony ordered. “Ladies, get out, get in the bathroom.”

The girls did as they were told. Meanwhile Steve and Tony stepped to one side, leaning their heads together.

“What do you think?” Tony murmured.

“I got nothing,” Steve replied. “But back there, it reminds me of the USO tours. The lights, the make-up. It’s like a… performance?”

Suddenly Tony fired his gun. The Mandarin - or whoever he was - had tried to crawl away, but after a bullet impacted in the floor mere centimetres from his head, he thought better of it and returned to the chair.

“My name is Trevor, Trevor Slattery,” he announced.

“What are you?” Tony growled. “What, are you a decoy or a double, right?”

“An understudy? No, absolutely not. Don’t hurt the face!” Trevor added as Tony raised his gun again. “I’m an actor.”

“You’re an actor?” Steve echoed.

“You’ve got a minute to live, fill it with words,” Tony threatened.

“Just a role. ‘ _The Mandarin_ ’, see? It’s not real,” Trevor shrugged.

“Then how did you get here Trevor?”

“Um, well, I, um, had a problem with, uh, substances,” Trevor explained slowly. “And I ended up, un, doing things - no two ways about it - in the street that, uh, a man shouldn’t do.”

Steve felt the urge to drop his face into his hands. Seriously? Was this amateur hour or something?

“Next?” Tony shouted.

“Then _they_ approached _me_ about the role, and they knew about the drugs.”

“What, did they offer to get you off them?” Steve asked.

“Said they’d give me more!” Trevor grinned.

“Oh Jesus…” Steve shook his head.

“They gave me things, they gave me this palace,” Trevor continued, lying down. “They gave me plastic surgery, they gave me things…”

Suddenly Trevor fell silent. Steve and Tony exchanged confused looks; Steve stepped forward to Tony’s side. Trevor’s eyes were closed and he wasn’t moving, and Steve was starting to worry.

Until Trevor started snoring.

“Did he just nod off?” Tony exclaimed. “Hey!”

“Oh, and a lovely speedboat!’ Trevor finished, waking when Tony’s kick met his foot. “And the thing was, he needed someone to take credit for some ‘accidental explosions’.”

“He? Killian?” Tony confirmed.

“Killian,” Trevor nodded.

“He created you?” Steve stated.

“He created me,” Trevor grinned.

“Custom made terror threat,” Tony continued.

“Yes!” Trevor exclaimed. “His think tank thinked it up. The pathology of a serial killer,” he continued in the Mandarin’s voice, “The manipulation of western iconography. Ready for another lesson? Blah, blah, blah.”

Trevor offered them both a can of beer; they declined. Steve was too busy trying to wrap his head around everything they’d learned in the past few minutes. So, the Mandarin was really nothing more than a poor excuse to cover up the deaths of American soldiers - _wounded_ American soldiers - conned into becoming Aldrich Killian’s fighting dogs? Perhaps, Steve mused, it was about time he met this Killian guy. 

“Of course, it was my performance that brought the Mandarin to life,” Trevor bragged.

“Performance?” Tony echoed. “Where people died?”

“No, they didn’t. Look around you, it’s costumes, green-screen. Oh honestly, I wasn’t on location for half this stuff, and when I was it was _movie magic_ love.”

“Sorry, but I’ve got a beat friend who’s in a coma and he might not wake up,” Tony retorted, stepping towards Trevor. Instantly Steve was at his side again, a placating hand on Tony’s bicep. He really didn’t want Tony to go off and shoot the messenger. Killian was the one to blame for Happy’s injury, not this idiot. “So you’re going to have to answer for that. You’re still going down pal.”

“Tony,” Steve began. But he never finished, as suddenly something hit him on the back of the head, and it all went black.

X

Sue’s lip curled as she kept her eyes on Aldrich Killian. If she wasn’t handcuffed, he and that smug smile of his would be on his ass. She took a little refuge in the knowledge that her dads were on their way, and when they arrived, they would rain holy hell on him and his. 

“Sue,” Killian said. “What’s with all the hostility?”

“Being handcuffed tends to do that to me,” she retorted. “Pops might enjoy it, but I’m finding they chafe.”

“Your, uh, pops should be here pretty soon,” Killian smirked. “I’m sure he’ll offer to take your place. Not that it’ll do him much good.”

“That’s okay, dad’ll kick your ass instead,” she declared, raising her chin defiantly and wishing Johnny would do anything other than staring blankly into space. “You chose the wrong girl to mess with, Killian. If you hurt me, you’ll have the full weight of the Avengers come down on you. Is that really what you want?”

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Killian assured her. “I am, however, going to improve you.”

Fear curled in Sue’s stomach. Then Killian picked up a syringe, a syringe filled with Extremis, and it was all she could do to turn her gasp into a ragged breath.

“Killian, no!” Pepper shouted.

Even if she didn’t know what Extremis could do to a person, Sue knew it was a very bad idea for it to come anywhere near her or Johnny or their blood. Her pops had forbidden any tests to be run on her for traces of the serum and its affects. Other than the necessary, they’d never explored it. But she was pretty certain that mixing it with something as volatile as Extremis was not a good idea. The serum magnified everything, right? She didn’t want to picture what Extremis magnified would look like. She felt sick. 

“You can’t,” she shook her head.

“Don’t worry,” Killian smiled. “I’m sure Tony’ll turn up in time.”

“You do that, you’re putting everyone in danger,” Sue warned. “Including yourself.”

“Oh really? And why is that?”

Sue’s mouth went dry as he approached. She tried futilely to jerk away, only succeeding in rattling her restraints. The last thing she wanted to do was reveal the possible serum in her DNA to someone like Aldrich Killian. But the alternative could have fatal results for, possibly, hundreds of people. 

“Because I had traces of super-soldier serum in my blood!” she shouted. “You inject me with that, and I could blow up anything from a block to the whole city.”

Killian paused. 

“Steve Rogers is my biological father,” she continued.

“Well then,” Killian said. To Sue’s relief, he capped the syringe again. He smiled, “Looks like this is my lucky day.”

He stepped forward and tried to pat her cheek, only as he did, Johnny’s feet swung out and smacked into Killian’s jaw. Killian stumbled, then righted himself. He smirked in the face of Johnny’s glower.

“Feisty.”

Sue spat at him as he walked away, but she couldn’t deny the relief that swept her body. Until Killian turned to Pepper and said, “Guess we’ll just have to give it to you instead.”

“No!” Sue cried.

X

When Tony woke he was in zip ties, tied to - was that an old bed frame? Seriously? Was this terrorism on a budget or what? He almost missed Loki for a moment. Almost.

“Okay,” he sighed.

“Just like old times, huh?” Maya Hansen smiled.

“Oh yeah, in zip ties, it’s a ball,” Tony replied, looking around the room. To his relief, he found Steve handcuffed in the corner, apparently in the process of coming around himself. “Steve? Hey buddy? You okay?”

“Just peachy,” Steve retorted. “Next time you invite me for Christmas, I’m gonna decline. And go to the Caribbean.”

“It wasn’t my idea,” Maya said.

“Okay, so you took Killian’s card,” Tony stated.

“I took his money.”

“And here you are thirteen years later, in a dungeon.”

“No,” Maya shook her head.

“Yeah,” Tony corrected.

“Sure looks like a dungeon to me,” Steve added. “I’ve seen a few. Not quite up to Hydra’s standards, but still a dungeon.”

“No, you’re in a dungeon. I’m free to go,” Maya smiled. 

“Yeah,” Tony snorted.

“A lot’s happened, Tony,” Maya continued. “But I’m close. Extremis is practically stable-“

“I’m telling you it isn’t,” Tony cried. 

“Tell that to Ellen Brandt. Or Jack Taggart. Or Chad Davis’ mother,” Steve spat. Tony was surprised. He’d never heard that level of anger in Steve’s voice, or that amount of hate in his eyes. Even with the threat to the twins’ lives, it seemed out of character for the soldier.

 _Soldier_.

Steve was a soldier. Just like Chad Davis. Just like Brandt, and Taggart. Just like all of the Extremis test subjects. 

“I’m on the street. People are going bang, they’re painting the walls, Maya,” Tony insisted.

To both Steve and Tony’s surprise, Maya said, “Then help me fix it.”

She held up an old name sticker from Bern with _You know how I am_ in his own familiar handwriting, then flicked it around to reveal a scribbled equation. Tony frowned. 

“Did I do that?”

From Maya’s expression, he guessed that was not the answer she’d been hoping for. 

“Yes.”

“I remember the night, not the morning,” he shrugged. 

“You really know how to make a girl feel special, don’t you Tony?” Steve sighed.

“Time and a place, Spangles,” Tony snapped. “Is this what you’ve been chasing around?” he asked Maya. 

“You don’t remember?”

Tony fixed her with a stare.

“You used to have a moral psychology. You used to have ideals. Wanted to help people. Now look at you,” he said. “I get to wake up every morning to a son and a daughter whom I love more than anything on the planet. I get to work with friends who… still have their souls. Get me out of here. Come on.”

“You know what my old man used to say to me? One of his favourite of many sayings: the early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”

Killian.

Tony’s mouth narrowed. From Steve’s hardening expression, he’d clearly figured out who the newcomer was, and by the looks of it, was planning which way to dismember him.

“You’re not still pissed off about the Switzerland thing, are you?” Tony taunted. Probably not the best tactic in the world, taunting your captor, but Tony liked being unconventional. And Steve wasn’t the only one pissed as hell at Killian. Tony quite frankly wanted his head.

“How could I be pissed at you Tony? I’m here to thank you.” Okay, didn’t see that coming. “You gave me the greatest gift anybody’s ever given me: desperation. If you think back to Switzerland, you said you’d meet me on the rooftop, right? Well, for the first twenty minutes, I actually thought you’d show up. Then the next hour, well I considered taking that one step shortcut to the lobby, if you know what I mean?”

“Honestly I’m still trying to figure out what happened to the first mouse.”

“But as I looked out over that city, nobody knew I was there, nobody could see me. No one was even looking. I had a thought that would guide me for years to come: anonymity, Tony. Thanks to you it’s been my mantra ever since, right? You simply rule from behind the scenes, because the second you give evil a face - a Bin Laden, a Gaddafi, a Mandarin - you hand the people a target.”

“You’re something else,” Steve chuckled, shaking his head and glaring at Killian.

“For once I actually agree with my friend over there,” Tony added. “Which is happening with frightening regularity at the moment; it’s a little unnerving.”

“A little,” Steve agreed.

“See? Did it again,” Tony smiled. “Sorry. You were saying?”

“You have met him I assume?” Killian asked. 

“Yes,” Tony nodded. “Sir Laurence Oblivier.”

“I met him, you know,” Steve interrupted. “Olivier. Worked with RAF for a while.”

“Really?” Tony raised his eyebrows. “Wow. Sorry, this must be really distracting for you,” he said to Killian. “Please, go on.” 

“I know he’s a little over the top sometimes,” Killian admitted. “It’s not entirely my fault, he has a tendan- He’s a stage actor. They say his Lear was the toast of Croydon, wherever that is. Anyway the point is, ever since that big dude with the hammer fell out of the sky, subtlety has kind of had its day.”

“What’s next for you in your world?” Tony asked.

“Well, I wanted to repay you with the selfsame gift you so graciously imparted to me,” Killian smirked. He shook his fist, rattling whatever he held, then opened his hand, allowing three metal balls to roll across the floor. Steve looked confused as Killian picked up a remote control. A picture flickered into life before them.

Tony’s heart stopped.

“Desperation,” Killian finished. “I wanted to use that charming little girl of yours, but she quite rightly pointed out that might not go so well with the traces of serum floating around in her bloodstream. So while we do some more research, I decided to go for the next best thing. Now, this is live. I’m not sure if you can tell, but at this moment the body is trying to decide whether to accept Extremis or just give up. And if it gives up, I have to say, the detonation is quite spectacular.”

Steve tore his eyes from the image of Pepper, agony written across her face as Extremis glowed beneath her skin, to Tony. He could see the man’s heart breaking, the guilt and hatred filling his features and Steve knew right then and there that Aldrich Killian would die before the was over. Tony would make sure of that. He’d already potentially lost one friend to Killian’s macabre pantomime; Steve was unsure whether Tony could stand to lose another. 

“But until that point, it’s really just a lot of pain,” Killian continued. He flicked off the image. “We haven’t even talked salary yet.” He strode across the room and grabbed Tony by the throat. Steve jerked against his restraints. “What kind of perk package were you thinking of?”

Wait.

Killian’s face was glowing. He’d used Extremis on himself, which meant that at any moment there was the potential for him to go boom.

“Let him go,” Maya called. 

“Hold on, hold on,” Killian said to Tony. “Maya…”

“I said, let him go,” Maya repeated, holding some sort of device to her throat. Steve didn’t recognise it, but he wasn’t the tech genius in the room. However, he was a strategist, and he knew that while the rest of the room had their attention on her, it was the perfect chance. For him to asses his situation.

“What are you doing?” Killian asked.

Steve flexed his wrists slowly, pushing against the cold metal and feeling it give a little. Cheap ass crap. Not built to contain a super-soldier.

“Twelve hundred CCs. A dose half of this size, I’m dead.”

One good pull and he could be free. All he needed to do was wait for the opportune moment. 

“It’s times like this my temper is tested somewhat. Maya, give me the injector,” Killian instructed.

“If I die Killian, what happens to your soldiers?” she asked. “What happens to your product?”

“We’re not doing this, okay?”

“What happens to you? What happens if you go too hot?”

Suddenly Killian raised his gun - and where had that come from? - and fired straight at Maya. Steve had to physically restrain himself from yanking himself free and tackling the smug son of a bitch as she fell to the ground and Killian simply turned to Tony and said, “The good news is, a high level vacancy has just been vacated.”

“You’re a maniac,” Tony shook his head.

“No, I am a visionary,” Killian corrected.

“There’s nothing visionary about experimenting on vulnerable soldiers and point blank murder,” Steve spat.

“Oh, spare me the valiant hero act,” Killian sighed. “However, I do own a maniac. And he takes the stage tonight,” he called as he left the room.

“You okay?” Steve murmured, once he was sure they were alone. 

“He’s dead,” Tony promised.

“Agreed. You know, I can get out of these things. Just say the word.”

They heard footsteps approaching from down the corridor, presumably guards. It was doubtful they would be left alone.

“Wait for my signal,” Tony instructed. Then his eyes flickered to Steve’s, as if wondering how Steve would react to being given orders like that.

Steve nodded.

“Yes sir.”

X

Despite what the world assumed, Steve was not a patient man. As evidenced by his multiple attempts to join the army, desperate to get there and help. He couldn’t wait until they became desperate enough to overlook his health problems, no, he had to go out and find someone who would overlook them now. So all this waiting, biding his time, it grated. A lot. He wanted to act. _Now_. To find Sue and Johnny and Pepper and stop Killian before anyone else got hurt. But Tony said wait, so wait he would. However hard it was. So Steve sat there, waiting, keeping his eyes on the ground, trying to ignore the fact that Tony’s arms must be in agony from being tied above his head for so long, or their guard dogs and their various methods of entertaining themselves.

Suddenly he became aware of a small beeping. Steve frowned. It was the watch, he realised, watching one of Killian’s goons pick it up.

“Careful there,” Tony warned. “It’s limited edition. Hey, uh, Ponytail Express? What’s the milage count between Tennessee and Miami?”

“Eight hundred and thirty two miles.”

“Very nice,” Tony nodded.

“I’m good like that,” Ponytail said to his fellow goon. “Can you, uh, stop that?”

“Break it you bought it,” Tony warned. 

“I think I bought it,” the Goon smirked, grinding the watch with his heel.

“Okay, that was’t mine to give away,” Tony sighed. “That belongs to my friend’s sister, and that’s why I’m gonna kill you first. Got that Steve? Him first. Make a note.”

“Got it,” Steve nodded. He flexed his wrists, feeling the metal stretch. 

“What are you gonna do to me?” the Goon asked. 

“You’ll see,” Tony replied.

“You’re zip-tied to a bed.”

“This,” Tony declared, flicking up his wrists.

Nothing.

Steve wasn’t sure, not being entirely privy to Tony’s plan, but he was pretty certain that wasn’t quite right.

“That,” Tony tried again. 

Still nothing.

“Trust me, you’re going to be in a puddle of blood on the ground in five, four, three… Come on! Two…”

“How did we get this shift?” the Goon asked.

“Tony,” Steve began. “Should I-“

“No,” Tony insisted. “Alright, I’m going to give you a chance to escape. Put down your weapons, tie yourselves to those chairs. I’ll let you live. In five, four, bang!”

“Oh God,” Steve sighed.

“You should be gone by now,” Tony informed them.

“And I thought watching Bucky try to pick up that heiress was the most embarrassing thing I’d ever see.”

“Not helpful Rogers. Here it comes. Three, four…”

“Shut up,” Ponytail ordered. 

“Five, four, three, two, one,” Tony blurted then suddenly something smashed through the window and Steve took that as the signal. He yanked himself free of the handcuffs, rolling across the floor to where his shield lay and grabbing it as he leaped to his feet. “Told you,” Tony said, before firing a blast from his gauntlet.

Freeing himself from the zip-ties, Tony quickly found himself in hand to hand combat with Ponytail, one boot flying through the window and encasing his leg. He sent Ponytail flying, but not before liberating him of his handgun. 

“Where’s the rest?” he wondered.

“Tony, we got company,” Steve called as re-enforcements approached. Tony fired off a shot from his gauntlet, before attempting to engage the repulsors. However, with only one gauntlet and one boot, it didn’t work out quite as well as he might have hoped. In the interim, Steve tossed his shield down the corridor. Two ducked, but the third wasn’t as lucky, finding himself KO’d by the projectile. Tony managed to take out a further two with a combination of gun and repulsors, while Steve kicked the feet from under another before smacking his shield against the man’s head. He jumped up, joining Tony as he pointed his gun at the remaining guard, who instantly held up his hands and dropped his gun.

“Honestly, I hate working here. They are so weird.”

Tony waved, and the guy vanished.

“Nice work,” Tony nodded. 

“Thanks. Aren’t you missing something?” Steve asked, pointing at Tony’s lack of suit.

“Yeah. Hopefully it’ll catch up. Shall we?”

“After you.”

As they marched down the corridor side by side, the remaining pieces of Tony’s suit flew after them, slotting onto their appointed position on their creator’s body.

“Ah. Better late than never,” Tony remarked, turning to receive the suit. By the time they arrived outside, all that was missing was the face plate. Remembering its attack in the workshop, Tony added, “Not this time. Not the face.”

He caught the plate, slotting into place, turning to give Steve a smile before remembering the soldier would be unable to see it. Steve gave him a smile in return anyway.

“Phew, it’s good to be back,” Tony exclaimed. “Hello, by the way.”

Then the oh-so familiar voice of JARVIS announced, “Oh, hello sir.”

Tony smiled. Just like coming home. Overhead a Chinook took off, presumably with Killian on board. And presumably, he wouldn’t have left Pepper and the twins behind, not when there was a chance, however slim he believed it to be, that Tony and Steve could rescue them. He identified another flight trail as belonging to the Iron Patriot armour. Was Rhodey here too?

“Ah, let’s go!” Tony shouted, but the thrusters misfired. Steve watched worriedly. “Aw, crap.”

“Old fashioned way?” Steve asked.

“Looks like it.”

They began to run, although Tony had to admit, he had a little trouble with the steps in his suit.

“Wait, I’m getting a call,” he called after Steve.

“Tony?” Rhodey’s voice filled his helmet. 

“Rhodey, tell me that was you in the suit,” he said.

“No. You got yours?”

“Uh… Mhmm. Kind of,” Tony replied. “Main house, fast as you can. There’s somebody I’d like you to meet.”

X

When they walked in and found two suits pointing guns at the sleeping Slattery, Tony called, “What’s this? I had winners.”

He raised his hand, ready to fire, but Steve stepped forward, intercepting him.

“Allow me.”

With one expert toss of the shield, he took out both men, sending them sprawling to the ground. 

“Nice work, Cap,” Tony praised, flicking up his faceplate.

“I’m so done with this,” Steve shook his head, securing his shield on his arm.

“Tony?” Rhodey’s voice called.

“In here,” Tony replied, and seconds later they were joined by the Colonel.

“You in this mess too Cap?” Rhodey greeted.

“Yeah,” Steve smiled wryly.

“What have you come as?” Trevor asked, eyeing Tony’s armour and Steve’s shield.

“You make a move, I break your face,” Rhodey threatened, raising his gun and pining Trevor down with his foot

“I never thought people had been hurt,” Trevor explained. “They lied to me.”

“This is the Mandarin?” Rhodey exclaimed.

“Yeah, I know,” Tony sighed. “It’s…”

“It’s embarrassing,” Steve finished.

“Hi, Trevor. Trevor Slattery,” Trevor said, holding out his hand to Rhodey, only to have it slapped away. “I know I’m shorter in person, a bit smaller. Everyone says that. But, um, hey, if you’re here to arrest me, there’s some people I’d like to roll on.”

“No honour among thieves,” Steve shook his head.

“Or, apparently fake terrorists,” Tony agreed. “Here’s how it works Meryl Streep: you tell him where Pepper and my children are and he’ll stop doing it.”

“Doing what?”

Rhodey pressed the hot barrel of his gun to Trevor’s ear.

“Oh, I get it! Ow! That hurt. I get it, I get it!” Trevor insisted. “I don’t know about any Pepper, but I know about the plan.”

“Spill,” Steve ordered. “And if my kids are in one piece, then I might just leave you with your head.”

“Do you know what they did to my suit?” Rhodey demanded.

“What? No,” Trevor frowned. “But I do know it’s happening off the coast, something to do with a big boat. I can take you there. Whoa!” he cried, causing all three of them to jump until they realised he was watching the TV behind them. Seriously? “Ole, ole, ole!” Trevor chanted.

“Tony, I swear to God, I’m gonna blow his face off,” Rhodey growled.

“Oh, and this next bit may include the vice president as well!” Trevor added. “Is that… Is that important?”

“Somewhat,” Tony nodded.

“Probably worth mentioning sooner rather than later,” Steve shrugged.

“Yeah, a little bit,” Rhodey added. Tony indicated to Rhodey and Steve to join him at one side of the room.

“So?” he said.

“What are we gonna do?” Rhodey asked. “I mean, we don’t have any transport.”

“Right,” Tony sighed.

“When we spoke to this clown earlier,” Steve said slowly, “And he listed off everything they gave him…”

“Yeah, yeah,” Tony nodded. “Drugs, mansion, plastic surgery…” His eyes widened in realisation. He turned to Trevor. “Hey Ringo, didn’t you say something about a lovely speedboat?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me rambling on tumblr here: [weethreequarter](https://weethreequarter.tumblr.com)  
> Buy me a ko-fi here: <https://ko-fi.com/weethreequarter>


	7. Into Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which rescues are made, Rhodey is amused, and Bruce is oblivious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because this is the last chapter and only the epilogue is left, I've decided to upload the epilogue tomorrow. Then on Thursday, look out for the first Interlude, which takes place between this and part two. And finally, part two will begin next Sunday.

****“If he’s right about the location, we’re twenty minutes from where Pepper and the twins are,” Tony announced.

“But we also have to figure out this Vice President thing, right?” Rhodey said.

“Right,” Tony agreed. “Oh, I wonder who I’m calling right now. Oh, that’s the Vice President. Sir, this is Tony Stark.”

“Welcome back to the land of the living.”

“We believe you’re about to be drawn into the Mandarin campaign,” Tony explained. He was aware of Steve shifting at his shoulders. He sympathised. Every bone in his body insisted he run to where Sue, Johnny and Pepper were and keep them safe.

But.

But.

This was the choice they’d made by taking on the roles of heroes. By choosing the shield and the suit, they’d chosen to put the world first, no matter what the cost. But, damn, sometimes the cost hurt like hell.

“We gotta get you somewhere safe as soon as possible,” Tony finished.

“Mr Stark, I’m about to eat honey-roast ham surrounded by the agency’s finest,” the vice president replied. “The President’s safe on Air Force One with Colonel Rhodes. I think we’re good here.”

“Sir, this is Colonel Rhodes,” Rhodey interrupted. “They’re using the Iron Patriot as a Trojan Horse. They’re gonna take out the President somehow. We have to immediately alert the plane.”

“Okay, I’m on it. I’ll have security lock it down. If need be, they can have F-22s in the air in seconds. Thank you Colonel.”

“Rhodes and Stark out,” Rhodey ended the call. He turned to Steve and Tony. “We gotta make a decision. We can either save the president, or Pepper and the twins. We can’t do both.”

Tony turned to Steve, finding the soldier’s eyes already on him. He knew what the answer was, just as he knew Steve did too, but it wasn’t that _simple_. Pepper was his best friend, he’d be dead without her. And the twins… Johnny and Sue were his babies. But they had a responsibility, as Iron Man and Captain America. Rhodey let his gaze drop out of respect for the two men. Then Tony felt Steve take his hand.

“I have an update from Malibu sir,” JARVIS announced. “The cranes have finally arrived and the cellar doors are being cleared as we speak.”

“And what about the suit I’m wearing?” Tony asked.

“The armour is now at ninety two percent,” JARVIS informed him.

“That’s gonna have to do,” Tony sighed, pulling the leads from the suit with his free hand.

“I’m not a lot of use in the air,” Steve admitted. “Let me go, find out if Slattery gave us the right location.”

“I don’t like the idea of you going in alone Cap,” Tony murmured. “All you’ve got is that shield and one gun. And last time I checked, denim and cotton are not bulletproof.”

“Recon, that’s all,” Steve promised. “I confirm the twins and Pepper are there, confirm Killian’s there. Then wait for you. Unless I have to.”

“It’s not the worst plan in the world,” Rhodey added.

“You got this, Tony,” Steve smiled.

Tony squeezed his hand.

“Make sure they’re safe,” he ordered.

“Yes sir,” Steve saluted. “Make sure his ass gets back in one piece,” he instructed Rhodey.

“Of course Steve,” Rhodey smiled.

“How are you going to get there?” Tony frowned as Steve stepped out of the speedboat’s cabin.

“I’ve spent the last two days in a car or hanging onto the back of your suit. I could use the chance to stretch my legs” Steve replied. Securing his shield on his back, he climbed onto the handrail, threw Tony one last salute and dove overboard. Tony waited until he saw Steve surface and strike out towards the shore, before stepping back inside.

“You know,” he smirked, “I could really get used to him saluting me and calling me sir.”

“Save it for the bedroom, you asshole,” Rhodey sighed. “Now, how are we going to do this?”

“I have an idea,” Tony smiled, stepping out of the suit.

X

Steve hauled himself out of the water, squeezing the worst of the water out of his shirt, before turning and seeking out the speedboat. It was already disappearing into the distance. He said a quick prayer that Tony and Rhodey would be able to save the President, and arrive in time to save the twins and Pepper. There was no time to worry about that now, however. Steve pushed Tony from his mind, focusing instead on the location in his mind. Then he began to run.

By the time he reached the docks, it was falling dark. Despite the fact the docks and by extension the ships were supposed to be out of use, there were lights everywhere. Which actually made his job harder. It was easier to slip in unnoticed in the dark, and Steve had good eyesight. However, with the lights, he had to avoid being seen and make sure he wasn’t throwing shadows. It didn’t take long to find the correct ship; he simply had to find the one with the most gunmen. Ducking into the shadows, he moved to the stern of the ship. Taking a running start, he jumped across the gap, hanging on to the open loading bay hatch and swinging himself inside. He paused, utilising his enhanced hearing to check no one was coming. 

Clear.

He began to creep down the corridor, removing his shield from his back. He would feel a lot more secure if he had his suit. As he moved through the ship, Steve wondered how Tony was. Had he managed to save the President? More importantly, was he okay? Steve ducked back as footsteps approached, slotting himself under a set of stairs as two gunmen passed. 

“Where’s the boss?” one of them asked. 

“Up on deck twelve somewhere,” the other replied.

“Good. That guy creeps me out,” the first declared.

Their voices and footsteps faded as they turned the corner. Steve waited a further few minutes to make sure he was safe, before easing himself out of his hiding place. Deck twelve? He was currently on deck eight. He glanced at the stairs and figured the only way was up.

The closer he came to deck twelve, the more guards Steve had to avoid, confirming the information that that was where Killian - and by extension, hopefully the twins and Pepper - were. By the time he reached deck eleven, Steve realised that the guards were no longer carrying guns. For a moment, it mystified him, before it hit him. They didn’t need guns, because they’d been injected with Extremis. Sure enough, he recognised one woman from the videos he and Tony had watched in the news van back in Tennessee. That made sense; Killian had his prized monkeys guarding him.

Steve took the final set of stairs to deck twelve two at a time and began edging towards the bow of the ship. Suddenly he froze, listening carefully.

“You think he’s going to help you? He won’t.” _Pepper_. She sounded drained, ad Steve had to remind himself that this was a reconnaissance mission, not a rescue one. He followed the sound of her voice, his blood boiling when it was joined by Killian’s. 

“Having you here is not just to motivate Tony Stark. It’s, um… Well, it’s actually more embarrassing than that,” Killian chuckled. Steve peered round the edge of the door, spotting the megalomaniac leaning casually while Pepper was restrained by three heavy metal bands. “You’re here as my, um…” 

“Trophy,” Pepper finished. It was one word, one tiny word, six measly letters, but with it, all the fight went out of her voice. It was all Steve could do to hold himself back. He might not know Pepper Potts very well, but anyone with half a brain could see that she was worth so much more than a mere _trophy_. He risked another look. His hearted leaped: _Sue!_ Handcuffed to a railing and shooting Killian a look that could kill, but alive and apparently unharmed. And behind her: Johnny. Worryingly, Johnny seemed to be teetering on the edge of blanking out again. 

Then with a bang, the Iron Patriot armour landed on the walkway, marching into the lab, and for a second a glimmer of hope flickered in Pepper’s eyes. Steve’s heart broke. She didn’t know that Rhodey had lost the armour. She didn’t know that it held one of Killian’s goons, probably Savin. Steve wouldn’t mind getting his hands on him either. But then Killian grinned and said, “Good evening sir.”

“ _What?_ ” Steve mouthed. No way a man like Killian would call his subordinate sir. But the armour had already split open and the man inside fell to his knees. Steve’s eyebrows headed for his hairline. “ _President Ellis?_ ” And what did that mean for Tony and Rhodey? Had they failed? Steve realised he should leave and call Tony, but he held back, waiting just in case.

“Welcome aboard, Mr President,” Killian said, throwing a mock salute.

Steve watched as the President climbed to his feet, then followed Killian out of the room.

“Ever hear of the elephant in the room…?” he heard Killian say as his voice drifted out of hearing. Steve glanced around the room. Other than the twins and Pepper, the only other occupant was some sort of scientist. Steve made up his mind. He stepped into the room, a finger on his lips as he gazed significantly at Pepper, moving silently up behind the scientist. He raised his shield and brought it down heavily on the man’s head.

“Steve,” Pepper whispered. Sue and Johnny’s heads snapped up.

“Shh, I don’t know who else is around,” he warned. “There are a lot of guards, both Extremis and otherwise.” He dragged the unconscious scientist to the side and shoved him unceremoniously into a locker. Then he ran to Pepper’s side. “Are you okay?” he asked. “Stupid question, sorry.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Supposed to be a recon mission, but I saw a chance and took it,” he explained, examining her bindings. To his dismay, they were far more technical than he knew how to deal with. The best solution would be to use his shield, but Pepper stopped him.

“Don’t, it’ll take too long,” she shook her head. “Take the twins, get them out.”

“No way,” Johnny declared. 

“We’re not leaving you,” Sue argued.

“Please, Steve,” Pepper begged. Steve held her gaze. He nodded. 

“Tony and Rhodey are on their way,” he told her. “I promise you, we will come back for you.”

“Just make sure they’re safe,” Pepper said, glancing at the twins.

“You have my word,” Steve promised. He dropped to his knees between Sue and Johnny and wrapped his arms around them, feeling a wave of relief that they were in his arms.

“Dad,” Sue exclaimed quietly.

Steve’s brain stuttered. And that was when he realised: he was a father. Not just a part time parents who spent some time with their child on occasion. No, he was a full time, emotionally invested part of his children’s lives. His vision blurred and he hurriedly blinked away the tears.

“I’m here, I got you,” he whispered. 

Releasing them, he turned to the handcuffs, relieved to discover they were the same as the ones he’d broken out of back at Killian’s mansion. With one good yank, their wrists were free. Sue scrambled to her feet, hauling her brother up. Steve glanced hesitantly at Pepper.

“Go,” she ordered.

“We’ll be back soon,” he promised. Then took Sue’s hand and pulled the twins out the door he’d entered by.

There were a few close calls on the way back through the ship, but finally they reached the loading bay Steve had entered by. The three of them peered over the hatch.

“Okay, you’re gonna have to trust me,” he said.

“It’s okay, I’m good,” Sue replied. 

She stepped back, then ran up towards the hatch, pushing off of the edge of the hatch and dove across the gap, rolling neatly onto the dock in a move that would make Natasha proud. Steve glanced at Johnny.

“She’s a swimmer,” Johnny shrugged. “And a diver.”

“And you?”

“Terrified of the water. And heights. Never dived in my life.”

“Right. Put your arms around my neck,” Steve instructed. Johnny did so, then Steve looped his left arm around his waist, lifting him onto his hip as though he was a child. “Hang on, and try to be quiet. I won’t drop you,” he promised. Johnny nodded, tightening his grip on his neck. Steve stepped back, allowing himself as much space as possible, then sprinted towards the open hatch. He pushed off of the edge, feeling Johnny’s muffled squeak against his neck as they soared over the gap, inky water below. Flicking his shield down, he used it to land on, sliding across the dock in a landing much less elegant than Sue’s. The shield screeched loudly as it skidded across the concrete, but by the time anyone was able to come and investigate, Steve was already on his feet and had dragged the twins into the shadows.

X

“This is where Steve said to meet?” Rhodey asked. Tony nodded. When his cell rang a few minutes earlier, it had been a welcome relief. They hadn’t heard anything since he’d left, and Tony had begun to fear he’d been captured. Then the call had come through and he found he could breathe again. When exactly Steve’s safety had become related to his ability to breathe, Tony wasn’t quite sure. “Wait, you hear that?” Rhodey whispered. Tony listened.

Footsteps.

He nodded. They ducked between two shipping containers until a beam of light fell on a familiar shield. Tony stepped out and instantly found himself almost knocked off his feet by his son and daughter throwing their arms around his neck.

“Pops!”

“Susie? Johnny? Oh my God, are you two okay?” Tony asked. He pulled away just enough to check them over for injuries. If he found even one bruise or the tiniest of scratches, Aldrich Killian would suffer a slow and painful death. “I was so worried about you.”

“We’re okay pops, what about you?” Sue asked.

“Ah, I’m fine,” Tony waved off her concern. “Takes more than a fake terrorist to get rid of me.”

“Fake terrorist with real bombs,” Steve pointed out.

“Did you two grow taller in the last two days? What have I told you? No more growing without my permission. I can’t tell you off when you’re taller than me. You okay Cap?” Tony asked, hugging Johnny again.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Steve replied. “But Tony, I couldn’t get Pepper out. I didn’t have enough time. And they’ve got the President.”

“I figured,” Tony sighed. “The one person I missed from Airforce One.”

“You’re going to rescue Pepper, right?” Johnny asked.

“Of course,” Tony promised, kissing both his and his sister’s foreheads. “We just gotta get you safe-“ 

“No way,” Johnny shook his head.

“We’re staying,” Sue agreed. 

“Absolutely not,” Tony said. 

“Not a chance in hell,” Steve declared simultaneously.

“Oh, I’m gonna enjoy seeing more of this parenting partnership in years to come,” Rhodey grinned. 

“Sweetie, I- _We_ need to know you’re safe,” Tony explained. “So we can focus on getting Pepper back.”

“Then we’ll stay right here,” Sue insisted. “No one’ll find us here, no one’ll even be looking once you show up.”

Tony glanced at Steve, then made up his mind. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and handed it to Johnny.

“It is seven thirty. It gets to eleven and we’re not back, you call Natasha and have her and Barton come and get you out, understand?” he instructed.

“And get you out too, right?” Johnny frowned.

“Like I said,” Tony replied, “Have them get you out.”

Johnny’s eyes widened as he realised what he was saying, but to his credit, he simply nodded and pocketed the cell phone. Then Tony pulled out the second gun he’d picked up earlier, checking it was loaded and that the safety catch was enabled before holding it out by the barrel to Sue.

“You remember how to use this, right?”

“Right,” she nodded, slipping it into the waistband of her jeans. Tony pulled them both in for one final hug, pressing a kiss to the top of their heads. He inhaled the smell of his shampoo and her perfume, somewhat diminished from the past few days but still present, imprinting it onto his mind. He’d promised himself he would never walk away from them like this again after the wormhole. Yet here he was.

“Be careful,” he whispered. “And remember I love you more than anything in the world.”

“I love you too pops,” Sue choked. Tony pressed one last kiss to their temples, before letting go and stepping to the side, allowing Steve his turn. Sue threw herself at him. “Dad.”

“I’ll make sure he comes back to you,” Steve promised. Sue met his gaze with watery eyes, nodding her understanding of what he was saying. Tony felt a lump in his throat. “I am so proud of you,” Steve continued. “Both of you. And I love you.”

“Love you too dad.” 

Sue released him then, to everyone’s surprise, Johnny gave him a quick hug.

“Be careful,” Johnny muttered.

Steve nodded, and when he turned to Tony, it was Captain America who stood there, not Steve Rogers.

“Shall we?”

“Let’s go,” Tony nodded. He followed Steve without looking back, because if he looked back and saw their tears, he would surely abandon the mission. Rhodey squeezed his shoulder in support.

As they hid behind a shipping container while Rhodey peered around the corner, Steve turned to Tony once more.

“You know,” he murmured. “If we do get out of this, I’d really like to take you for that drink. And since your excuse now holds no water…”

“You don’t give up, do you Rogers?” Tony smirked.

“Just want you to know it’s not a ploy,” Steve smiled. “And it’s not just an excuse to look for things to go on the list.”

“So there _is_ a list?”

“Not the kind you think.”

“Everything you’ve seen over the past few days,” Tony said. “And you still wanna go out with me? It didn’t… put you off?”

“On the contrary, made me more interested,” Steve replied.

“Oh my God,” Rhodey exclaimed. “He’s strung up over the oil tanker. They’re gonna light him up man.”

“The President?” Steve confirmed. 

“Viking funeral. Public execution,” Tony added. 

“Yeah, death by oil,” Rhodey agreed.

“Then let’s stop them,” Steve said. 

They darted across the quay, Rhodey on point, followed by Tony, with Steve taking up the rear, dodging behind a moving forklift. Rhodey led the way up a set of loading steps onto the cargo ship.

“This is much easier. Why didn't I come this way last time?” Steve muttered. 

“Is your gun up?” Rhodey asked.

“Yep,” Tony replied, raising his weapon. He shared a glance with Steve, both trying not to smirk. “What do I do?” Tony asked. 

“Stay on my six, cover high and don't shoot me in the back,” Rhodey ordered. 

“Six, high, back. Alright,” Tony nodded. Behind him, he was aware of Steve turning so that he was facing the way they came, moving slowly backwards so that no one could sneak up on them. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw Steve's precise movements and taunt limbs and he was reminded that Steve wasn't just a superhero, he was a soldier. He'd fought wars. 

And then suddenly they were caught in a hail of gunfire from above. Tony returned fire as they ducked behind a bulkhead, nearly shooting out a light in the process.

“You see that? Nailed it,” Tony declared.

“Yeah, you really killed the glass,” Rhodey deadpanned. 

“You think I was aiming for the bulb? You can't hit a bulb at this distance,” Tony argued.

Steve rolled his eyes, disengaged the safety on his gun, then stood up and fired one shot straight into the light. He dropped back down next to Tony.

“You were staying?”

“Okay, so apparently I'm turned on by guns now,” Tony announced. Steve bit back a smile. 

“We have hostiles on east unit twelve,” a voice announced over the PA. “I repeat, hostiles on east unit twelve.”

“I think they noticed us,” Steve quipped. 

“Here's what I'm gonna do,” Tony said. “Save my spot. Ready?” He bobbed up, poking his head above the bulkhead briefly before landing back between Steve and Rhodey. 

“What'd you see?” Rhodey asked.

“Too fast,” Tony shook his head. “Nothing. Here goes.”

He pushed himself up again, pausing this time to really observe what was going on. He did a quick count of the opposition, checking each of them out for weapons with a trained eye, then sat down again. 

“Three guys, one girl. All armed,” he reported. 

The three of them stood, Rhodey and Steve raising their guns. All four guard dogs had clearly been injected with Extremis; their faces and arms glowed like embers in the darkness. 

“God, I would kill for some armour right now,” Rhodey hissed. 

“You're right, we need backup,” Tony agreed.

“Yeah, a bunch,” Rhodey nodded. Steve stared at them incredulously. 

“You're kidding, right?” he said. When Tony and Rhodey simply stared back at him, he continued, “I parachuted into Nazi Germany, under heavy fire with a stage prop helmet and shield. I could dent them with my thumbs. And I still rescued two hundred men.”

“You know what?” Tony said, nodding out into the darkness.

Rhodey gaped, “Is that...?”

“Yup.”

“Are those...?”

“Yeah.”

Steve frowned, focusing on the dots of lights. As they came closer he realised they were Tony's suits. He sighed, chuckling as he shook his head. 

“Always in style, right Stark?”

Tony grinned, dropping his arms over Steve and Rhodey's shoulder.

“Merry Christmas guys.”

They suits hovered in a ring above the cargo ship. Steve had to admit, it was a comforting sight. He may have taken on more with less, that didn't mean he wanted to. He was quite happy to let the suits take the heat – no pun intended. 

“JARVIS, target Extremis heat signatures,” Tony ordered. “Disable with extreme prejudice.”

“Yes sir,” JARVIS replied, his voice echoing from every suit of armour.

“Okay that, that's a little freaky,” Steve said. Tony just ginned. 

“What are you waiting for? It's Christmas. Take them to church,” he said, stepping forward. They watched as the suits got to work, attacking the Extremis infected fighters, ducking out of the way of flying projectiles.

“So this is how you've been managing your downtime?” Rhodey said.

“Everybody needs a hobby,” Tony shrugged, ducking down by Steve's side.

“They're amazing,” Steve said softly. “All of them.” Tony looked up sharply, searching Steve's face for any trace of mocking; however he found none, only admiration and... was that affection? Tony found his throat suddenly uncomfortably tight. He had to turn his attention back to the fight at hand, because he didn't know how to respond to Steve. “Heartbreaker, help Red Snapper out will you?” he ordered. They watched the suit in question shoot off two of the three fighters trying to pull apart Red Snapper, sending them falling down to the ground, then saw Red Snapper lose his head to the third, only for the action to backfire on the attacker as the suit collided with the ship, sending up a ball of flame. A suit landed on the deck beside them, opening to allow Tony to step inside.

“Nice timing,” he said.

“Oh yeah. That's awesome,” Rhodey agreed. “Give me a suit, okay?” 

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Tony replied, sounding completely unrepentant. “They're only coded to me.”

“What does that mean?” Rhodey frowned. 

“I got you covered,” Tony assured him before taking off. Seconds later a second suit landed, stepping forward and hugging Rhodey. Rhodey rolled his eyes.

“Good evening Colonel, can I give you a lift?” JARVIS asked.

“Very funny,” Rhodey sighed, allowing the armour to fly him away. 

Meanwhile Steve's gaze was still fixed on the dying fireball above them where Red Snapper and his hitch-hiker had met their end. That looked like it had crashed straight into where he'd rescued Gwen from. Which meant it had crashed into where Pepper was being a held.

“Captain Rogers?”

He tore his gaze away to find a third suit waiting for him.

“No thanks JARVIS,” he replied. “I can make my own way.”

Tony and Rhodey could handle this, he decided, fixing his shield on his arm and beginning to run. He smacked his shield into the face of a guard, sending her flying through the air where she was shot by one of the suits. Steve jumped onto a ladder, scurrying upwards towards where Pepper was, pausing only to defend himself from Extremis guards, or to duck behind his shield to avoid falling debris or bodies. 

“Cap, you okay?” Tony's voice rang in his ear.

“Yeah, I'm good,” Steve shouted. “Don't worry.”

Swinging himself onto the platform, he dropped to his stomach to avoid a low flying suit, then hurried inside. Debris littered the floor, and the lights had been knocked out, making it harder to see. He silently thanked the serum again for his enhanced sight. Crouching down, he scanned the room, his heart stopping when he caught sight of red hair. 

“Tony? You read me?”

“Yeah, I got you Cap. What's up?”

“I found Pepper,” he replied. “You need to get in here.”

Steve studied the wreckage as he waited for Tony, before choosing the best piece to lift first. He swung his shield onto his back, grasped the fallen metal and lifted it, aware of Tony landing behind him.

“Stop!” Pepper gasped. “Put it down. Put it down.”

Steve hesitated, before doing as she said. Tony joined him, crouching and sliding up his faceplate.

“See what happens when you hang out with my ex-girlfriends?” he joked. He held out a hand.

“You're such a jerk,” Pepper whispered.

“Yeah. We'll talk about it over dinner,” Tony agreed. “Come on. A little more Pep." 

Steve watched anxiously as Pepper's finger tips glanced across the ends of the gauntlet, willing her to find that extra energy to reach a little further so Tony could get her out. But he couldn't help remember the despair in her eyes from earlier. She'd already been through so much. 

A hand glowing with Extremis smashed through the debris, throwing Tony and Pepper apart. Steve jumped backwards. Then he realised the hand had latched on to Tony armour, burning a hole through the chest. Tony fell back. Steve watched as the owner of the arm melted his way through the floor, his glare hardening as he recognised Aldrich Killian. 

“Is this guy bothering you?” Killian asked Pepper. He jumped across, crouching by Tony's side. Steve stepped forward but was cut off by Killian hovering his hand over the arc reactor and going, “Ah ah ah!”

“Bastard,” Steve spat.

Killian smirked.

“Don't get up,” he said to Tony. He pressed one finger to the chest plate. It glowed brightly in the darkness. “Is it hot in there? Stuck, do you feel a little stuck? Like a little turtle, cooking in his little turtle suit?”

“Oh Tony,” Pepper whispered.

Steve clenched his fists. It was only the knowledge that Killian only had to move his finger a few inches down to hit the arc reactor that kept him from moving, and who knew what kind of affect that would have on Tony. 

“She's watching. I think you should close your eyes,” Killian instructed. “Close your eyes. Close your eyes, you don't wanna see this.”

Killian raised his arm to strike, but he was cut off: literally. A blade shot out of Tony's gauntlet, slicing off Killian's forearm. With Killian's attention elsewhere, Steve whipped his shield off his back and slammed it into the back of Killian's head, sending him tumbling off of Tony.

“Yeah, you take a minute,” Tony panted, and Killian writhed and muttered on the floor. 

But Steve watched in horror as Killian's disembodied forearm burned through the floor, weakening the whole platform. He realised too late what would happen, lunging forward futilely in an attempt to catch Pepper as she fell down to the platform below. Tony leaped to his feet, out of the suit as they heard the creaking of machinery. Their eyes locked, widening as they realised that the platform Pepper had fallen onto was moving.

“Shit,” Steve cursed, racing out of the room after Tony. 

“We got company,” Tony called, glancing behind them.

“Go!” Steve ordered. “I got your back.”

Tony didn't even hesitate, jumping across a gap in the walkway, already shouting, “JARVIS, give me a suit. Right now.”

Steve turned his attention to his attacker, ducking his blow and using the shield to swipe his attacker's feet out from underneath him. His assailant flipped himself upright again, however Steve remained in a crouch. Then when his assailant jumped onto his shield, Steve threw it upwards, sending him flying into the air just as he had done with Natasha in New York. Yanking his gun from his belt, Steve fired a shot straight at him. He didn't wait to see his attacker fall, already turning and running after Tony.

“The President is secure Tony,” Rhodey's voice came through the comm in his ear. “I'm securing the area.”

“Nice work. Take the kids too,” he heard Tony grunt. “Steve?”

“On your six,” Steve replied. “You got her?”

“Working on it.”

When Steve caught up with Tony, he saw the genius balancing on a railing, reaching up to Pepper.

“Pep, I got you. Relax, I got you,” he heard Tony call. “Just look at me!”

There was still a hell of a gap between them. Steve began to run again.

“I can't reach any further and you can't stay there. You gotta let go,” Tony called. “You've got to let go. I'll catch you, I promise.”

But then the ship shuddered. Steve tripped, his heart jumping into his throat as he heard Tony scream, “No!” Steve pulled himself to his feet, staring in horror as he saw Pepper disappear into a fireball below. But there was no time to stop and mourn; he saw Tony slipping over the edge of the railing. _Not this time._ With a final burst of speed, Steve reached him, grabbing the railing with one hand and half throwing himself over it to grab Tony with the other.

“I got you,” he yelled. “Tony, you gotta work with me.” 

His friend looked up at him with dead eyes, before steeling himself and helping Steve to haul him back over the edge. They stumbled back, falling into a tangled heap of limbs. Steve found Tony's shoulder and used it to pull him close. 

“No,” Tony whispered. He squeezed his eyes shut, allowing his face to rest briefly into Steve's cheek. Then they pulled themselves to their feet. Tony stared at Steve. He was dirty and unshaven, his clothes were torn and disheveled, and his eyes were full of anger and hurt. Tony doubted he looked much better. The man before him was a far cry from Captain America. If not for the shield at his feet, no one would've recognised him as the nation's hero. Yet Tony doubted he'd ever wanted anyone more.

Steve glanced to the side, something catching his attention, his eyes narrowing. Tony followed his gaze and spotted Killian at the other end of the walkway.

“Let's get this bastard,” Steve spat.

“Best idea I've heard all day,” Tony replied. 

Shoulder to shoulder, they stood and faced Killian. 

“A shame,” Killian called, indicating below. “I would've caught her.”

A muscle in Tony's jaw twitched. He broke into a run; at the other end of the walkway, Killian did the same. But when Killian jumped, arm raised to strike, Tony ducked, sliding along the walkway and standing to step into the waiting suit. Meanwhile, Killian spun around, only to receive Steve's shield to the back of the head, sending him tripping towards Tony. Killian may have had the advantage of Extremis, but that didn't mean fighting two opponents on either side while trapped on a narrow walkway was any easier. Steve and Tony worked in unison; without a word, their attacks co-ordinated. Steve wondered briefly if it was Tony's suit cataloguing his moves, recognising what Steve would do before he did it. However, while he had no doubt that JARVIS was capable of that, Steve suspected that this time, right now, it was just them. A shared goal, a shared determination, and they moved together flawlessly. 

Until Killian and Tony ended up on a higher platform. Steve scrambled up after them, using a combination of ladders and jumping onto the backs of suits to propel himself upwards. When he finally reached them, Killian had caught Tony's fist in his hand.

“Well, here we are, on the roof,” Killian was saying. Then he split the armour, sending Tony flying backwards. Steve kicked Killian square in the back, blocking Killian's punch with his shield only to his his feet taken out from under him, until he fell down beside Tony.

“Mark 42 inbound sir,” JARVIS announced. 

“I'll be damned. The prodigal son returns,” Tony murmured.

“Bout damn time,” Steve groaned. 

“Feeling your years Grandpa?” Tony teased.

“I hate you,” Steve sighed, face down into the metal of the deck.

“No, you don't.”

“No, I don't,” Steve agreed. He heard Tony roll over into a crouch, raising his head enough to watch the genius hold out his arm to call the suit to him. The Mark 42 flew through the air towards Tony...

And collided with the railing. The pieces scattered, falling around Steve. Steve fought the urge to bang his head off the floor.

“Whatever,” he heard Tony sigh.

“You really didn't deserve her Tony. It was a pity. I was so close to having her perfect,” Killian declared. He leaped down onto their platform. Ignoring his aching muscles, Steve hauled himself to his feet, picking up his shield and standing tall behind Tony. 

“Okay, first,” Tony replied. “What exactly did you think was going on between us? But you're right. I don't deserve her. As a friend, as an employee, whatever. And second, and here's where you're wrong: she was already perfect.”

Tony threw himself into a crouch, on hand pushing Steve down with him, while the other sent the pieces of the Mark 42 towards Killian, encasing him while he struggled.

“JARVIS, do me a favour and blow Mark 42,” Tony ordered. He grabbed Steve's hand and they leaped off the platform, sliding down a support to ground level while Killian screamed behind them. The beam began to give way; they pushed themselves into the air, their hands torn apart. Tony fell into a waiting suit, while Steve used his shield as a parachute, accustomed to jumps without one. He landed expertly, throwing himself into a roll to avoid injury.

“Tony?” he called, hauling himself to his feet.

“Over here!” came the reply.

He found Tony lying in not even half of a suit, facing the burning helmet of the Mark 42. Tony forced a wry smile.

“If that isn't a metaphor for the past few days, I don't know what is,” he said. Steve chuckled, offering him a hand up. Tony took it, then paused. He frowned. “You hear that?”

Steve did. Groaning. They turned towards the flames, realising there was a figure moving through them a though they were air. Well, limping through them would perhaps be more accurate.

Killian.

“Can't he just die?” Steve muttered.

“Apparently not,” Tony groaned. He tried to pull himself to his feet, wincing when he put his weight on his left leg. Steve quickly wrapped his arm around Tony's waist in support, but both knew that would only make the fight harder.

“No more false faces,” Killian hissed. “You said you wanted the Mandarin. You're looking right at him. It was always me Tony, right from the start. I am the Mandarin!”

Killian's grandiose declaration was rather diminished somewhat when something smacked him on the back of the head and sent him flying, leaving Steve and Tony face to face with...

“Pepper?” Steve exclaimed. 

Holding a pipe, her skin glowing with Extremis but very much alive, it was Pepper.

“I got nothing,” Tony said. 

“Tony,” Steve said, tugging his shoulder. “Tony, there's a suit coming.”

“Crap! JARVIS, subject at my twelve o clock is not a target, disengage,” Tony ordered. But the suit kept coming. Then Tony spotted his comm a few feet away on the deck. 

Pepper ducked the bolt from the repulsor, then when the suit came around for a second pass, she flipped into the air, her fist smashing through the suit and bringing it to the deck with a crash. By now Killian was on his feet again, charging at her with a growl. Steve readied his shield to toss at him, but Pepper had already sent him flying using the gauntlet from the suit she'd taken out. Then she kicked the same kind of canister Tony had given to Harley earlier towards Killian and blew it – and Killian – up with one well aimed shot from the gauntlet.

Tony and Steve gaped. Then Steve turned to Tony and asked, “Why the hell did you need me with her here?”

“I think I need to give her a raise,” Tony muttered. 

“I think you need to give her anything she wants,” Steve said.

“Oh my God,” Pepper panted. “That was really violent.”

“You scared the devil out of me,” Tony shook his head. “I thought you were...”

“I was dead? Why, because I fell two hundred feet?”

“Touché,” Tony nodded. “I gotta say though... I'm sorry Steve.”

“Huh?”

“You are no longer the hottest thing I have seen today,” Tony smiled. Steve laughed.

“I think I'm okay with that,” he replied. 

Tony hobbled forward.

“You know, you should dress like this at the office,” he said. “No one would ever say no to you again. You'd have investors falling at your feet and the competition wouldn't stand a chance.”

He reached out for her, but Pepper jumped back.

“No, don't touch me!”

“Don't worry about it,” Tony insisted.

“No, I'm gonna burn you!”

“No, you're not.” Tony took her hand. “Not hot.”

“Am I going to be okay?” she whispered. 

“No,” Steve replied. “You work with him. And speaking as someone who also works with him, I can tell you – especially after the past few days – things are never going to be okay. But despite all of that, he is, after all, a genius,” he finished, stepping up beside Tony.

“I think I can figure this out, yeah,” Tony nodded. “I almost had this twenty years ago when I was drunk. I think I can get you better. That's what I do: I fix stuff.”

Pepper smiled.

“Twenty years? It was thirteen minus a week,” Steve snapped.

“So I rounded up, sue me,” Tony retorted. 

“You don't round up from thirteen to twenty.”

“Shut up Rogers.”

“Make me.”

“I hate you,” Tony shook his head.

“No, you don't.”

“Well, depends what you got me for Christmas,” Tony shrugged.

“What I got you for Christmas is at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean because you decided to invite a terrorist round.”

“Oh my God, this again? Can't you just let it go?”

Steve smirked.

“Okay Tony. I'll let it go.”

“Really?” Tony blinked.

“Yeah. Call it your Christmas present.”

Tony chuckled, shaking his head before turning to embrace Pepper.

“You are going to be okay,” he promised. “Now, let's get you home.”

Steve stepped forward, scooping Pepper into his arms.

“You're exhausted,” he said, cutting off her protests.

“So are you,” she argued. 

“Yeah, but I'm a super-soldier. I can do this all day.”

“Come on,” Tony said. “Let's blow this joint. Not literally, I think we did a good enough job of that already. But it is Christmas soon, and I want to see my babies.” 

Steve nodded.

“Then let's go home.”

X

“God, I ache,” Tony groaned, slumping against the elevator wall. “I need a massage. Or maybe a new body.”

“Tony, do not try to build yourself a new body,” Steve ordered. He was leaning against the opposite wall, arms crossed and eyes closed.

“Spoilsport.”

“Probably for the best though,” Johnny admitted, leaning against the wall next to Steve. Sue hummed her agreement at Tony’s side. Tony lifted his arm to pull her into his side, kissing the top of her head again. He’d come so close to losing them, the knowledge that both his children were safe by his side was the best Christmas gift he ever could’ve received. They’d dropped Pepper off at her floor - Steve literally placing her into her bed, as she’d been asleep since the plane left Miami. The elevator dinged upon reaching the communal floor and all four of them pushed themselves onto their feet with a variety of winces and groans.

“Anybody home?” Tony called as they stepped into the common area.

“Clint and Tasha were going away for the holidays,” Steve said. “I think Bruce is the only one supposed to be here.”

“Hey, speak of the devil. Or the Hulk,” Tony grinned, nodding towards his fellow scientist stepping out of the lab. “Hey Bruce. Merry Christmas!”

“Tony?” Bruce exclaimed, looking up from his StarkPad. “I thought you were all in Miami for Christmas? What happened to you?” he added, taking in their disheveled appearances.

“You didn’t see the news?” Steve frowned.

“No.”

“You didn’t hear about the Mandarin?” Tony asked.

“As in the fruit?”

“No, as in the terrorist. My house got blown up, the whole world thought I was dead.”

“… I was in the lab,” Bruce said sheepishly.

“Barton and Natasha didn’t call? Nobody noticed we could’ve _died_?” Tony exclaimed.

“I had the music up really loud,” Bruce apologised.

Tony stared at him in disbelief. He turned to Steve, expecting the soldier to be just as offended. Instead, he found Steve barely containing his laughter. One glance at Tony’s indignant expression was all it took to push him over the edge. Steve burst out laughing. Tony felt his mouth twitch, then he started to chuckle. Soon he’d joined Steve in peals of laughter, much to Bruce’s bemusement.

“What’s so funny?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me rambling on tumblr here: [weethreequarter](https://weethreequarter.tumblr.com)  
> Buy me a ko-fi here: <https://ko-fi.com/weethreequarter>


	8. Epilogue Balance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Steve and Tony come to an understanding.

****“Hey.”

Steve tore his eyes away from Sue and Johnny, who were currently battling it out on a video game across the room, smiling up at Tony. 

“Hey,” he replied, keeping his voice low to avoid disturbing Pepper and Bruce, who were slumped asleep on the other sofa. Tony had already snapped a picture of the two of them and declared the beginning of a pool on when they would get together. “What’s up?”

“Merry Christmas,” Tony said, handing Steve a parcel.

“Tony, I thought we said we wouldn’t do gifts,” Steve frowned. “I thought we were only getting for the twins.”

“Yeah,” Tony nodded, sitting next to him. “But this isn’t… Just open it.”

Steve tore the paper carefully, pulling it away to reveal a photo album. He flicked open the cover and lost the ability to breathe. 

In the centre of the page, in black and white, was a photo of two newborn babies, side by side in two plastic cribs. From the nose on one, and the chin on the other, he realised it was Sue and Johnny.

“That’s one of the only pictures from their file that isn’t creepy,” Tony murmured. “Most of them make me want to go shoot people, but that one, that one’s kinda cute.”

“My God,” Steve whispered. “They’re beautiful.”

“Yeah,” Tony smiled. “They really are.”

Steve continued to flick through the album. Unsurprisingly, it jumped from the twins as babies to age six, when Tony rescued them. Steve was startled by the difference in the two of them: while Sue was bright and smiling, clearly so happy to be free from the lab, Johnny’s face was blank. He was usually hunched over, trying to make himself as small as possible, or hanging onto Tony. It wasn’t until after the photos from their seventh birthday that he began to look like a regular little boy. 

“Tony, I, thank you,” Steve said. “This is… the best thing you could’ve given me. After those two kids.”

“Figured it was the best I could do,” Tony shrugged. “I can’t give you that time with them, but I can give you a window to it.”

“That was your time, Tony. I wouldn’t want to take that away from you.”

“Well, now it’s your time.”

“No, it’s our time,” Steve corrected. “I can’t do this without you. And honestly, I don’t want to.”

Tony smiled.

“There’s something else,” he said. “You should learn sign language. We still use it. You should be able to communicate with your son.”

“I’d like that,” Steve nodded. “Will you teach me?”

“Me?” Tony raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah. Why not you?”

“Okay. I guess.”

“Good.”

“Good,” he echoed.

Steve turned back to his new album, studying the changes in his children through the years. 

“Hey Tony?”

“Hmm?”

“Thanks.”

“For what? Inviting a terrorist for Christmas, getting us blown up, getting stuck in Tennessee, or Miami?”

“All of it,” Steve grinned.

“You’re crazy Rogers,” Tony shook his head.

“Maybe,” Steve shrugged. Then he grinned. “Still. Best Christmas Ever.”

X

_“Zhelaniye...”_

_“Rzhavyy...”_

_“Semnadtsat...”_

_“Rassvet...”_

_“Pech'...”_

_“Devyat'...”_

_“Dobroserdechnyy...”_

_“Vosvrashchenyie na rodinu...”_

_“Odin...”_

_“Gruzovoy vagon...”_

_Alexander Pierce snapped the red ledger shut, his eyes critical as he inspected the Asset._

_“Good afternoon Soldier.”_

_“Ready to comply,” the Assent replied tonelessly._

_Pierce's mouth quirked upwards._

_“Your work has been a gift to mankind,” he declared, walking around the Asset. “You shaped the century...”_

_He stopped in front of the Asset, staring into empty eyes._

_“I need you to do it one more time.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! Look out for Interludes & Outtakes on Thursday, and then Part 2 called Parallel Lives next Sunday. Thank you to everyone who read this, especially to those who left kudos, and a super special shoutout to everyone who left a comment.
> 
> Find me rambling on tumblr here: [weethreequarter](https://weethreequarter.tumblr.com)  
> Buy me a ko-fi here: <https://ko-fi.com/weethreequarter>

**Author's Note:**

> Find me rambling on tumblr here: [weethreequarter](https://weethreequarter.tumblr.com)  
> 


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